A video shared on Facebook reveals the severe degradation of the Hatibonico River, the most significant watercourse in Camagüey. The footage shows murky brown waters, trash piled along the banks, and a devastated riverside ecosystem.
Humberto Galindo, who recorded the video, walks along the river's edge, highlighting plastic bottles, bags, cardboard, and household waste littering the shore. "Its ecological system has been destroyed over time and through neglect. It's heartbreaking to see this river," he expresses in his recording.
Galindo reminisces about the stark difference between the river's current state and its historical past. In its once "crystal-clear" waters, José Olallo Valdés—a religious figure from the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God and Cuba's first beatified—washed the clothes of the sick at the San Juan de Dios Hospital in the 19th century.
Historical Significance and Current Crisis
"Its waters were transparent. Today, this river is doomed to oblivion and decay," Galindo concludes in the video.
This decline is not recent. Camagüey's General Plan for Territorial and Urban Planning, approved in 2021, acknowledged the urgent need to reforest, clean, and dredge the Tínima and Hatibonico rivers and eliminate pollution sources. However, no visible progress has been made.
Academic studies identify Camagüey city as the primary pollution source for its river system, contributing an organic load of 4,557 tons of BOD5 annually and hosting 32 pollution sources within the urban area, including 24 industrial, six health facilities, one research center, and others.
Environmental and Health Consequences
According to the CityAdapt program, 95% of Camagüey's wells fail to meet standards due to contamination, primarily from nitrates and coliform bacteria linked to liquid waste infiltration.
Each rainstorm exacerbates the situation. In September 2025, heavy rains overflowed the Hatibonico, exposing clogged drains and uncleaned sewers, raising alarms about potential outbreaks of dengue, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal diseases.
The same issue recurred in May 2026, when over an hour of rain turned Camagüey's streets into lakes, demonstrating the ongoing unresolved crisis.
A Broader Cuban Environmental Problem
The plight of the Hatibonico reflects a systemic issue affecting all of Cuba. Accumulated waste, creating health hazards, has been linked to outbreaks of dengue, chikungunya, leptospirosis, and hepatitis A nationwide. The collapse of waste collection systems and the lack of wastewater treatment infrastructure worsen environmental degradation in both urban and rural areas.
Efforts to clean up the Hatibonico were promoted in December 2022 by Radio Camagüey, highlighting the persistent, long-standing nature of the problem, which the regime's authorities have yet to effectively address.
Understanding the Hatibonico River Crisis
What is the current state of the Hatibonico River?
The Hatibonico River is severely polluted, with brown waters, trash along the banks, and a damaged ecosystem.
How has the pollution of the Hatibonico River affected public health?
Pollution has led to health risks, including potential outbreaks of diseases like dengue and gastrointestinal illnesses.
What measures have been proposed to address the river's pollution?
Plans include reforesting, cleaning, and dredging the river, and eliminating pollution sources, though progress is lacking.