Cockroach Infestation Reported at Harris Brothers Store in Havana

Photos and a video circulating on social media have exposed a severe cockroach infestation at the Harris Brothers store in Havana, with these pests freely crawling over packaged and canned goods on the store's shelves. Harris Brothers is considered one of the most iconic shopping centers in Cuba's capital.

The footage, shared by the Facebook page "Cubanos por el Mundo," clearly shows this isn't an isolated incident. "What you're seeing moving over the products is not a special effect or a setup; these are American cockroaches, a full-blown infestation," the post clarifies.

Highlighted in the images is the food section. "This department, where cockroaches roam as if they own the place, is specifically the section for meats and canned goods. This is your food, people," warns the post's author, emphasizing that "the entire store is like this, from top to bottom."

In the accompanying video, the person recording comments, "Look at how the cockroaches are," while a companion confirms they are American cockroaches, which are "extremely difficult to kill."

The post also criticizes the state's lack of intervention: "Where are the inspections? Where is the so-called Public Health that shows up when it's convenient? There are resources to repress and eyes everywhere to monitor Cubans, but when it comes to ensuring what your family eats, no one appears."

Located on O'Reilly between Bernaza and Villegas in Old Havana, Harris Brothers operates under the umbrella of Tiendas Caribe, a company linked to the military conglomerate GAESA. The store sells imported goods at foreign currency prices, accessible only to those with international cards or foreign cash, making it a symbol of economic inequality on the island.

Public reaction was a mix of outrage, resignation, and sarcasm. One person claimed to have witnessed even worse: "If it were just cockroaches, but I had the pleasure of seeing five mice in the confectionery-ice cream-drinks section. The employees were afraid to be there and sell."

Another commenter expanded on the situation: "Cockroaches in stores and trains, bedbugs in hospitals, hotels, and nursing homes, rats in the streets and sewers—we're surrounded... that's why we're the strongest humans in the world."

Yet another was blunt: "Today, Cuba is the dirtiest country in the world. Thanks to our brilliant government, so capable of solving problems."

Dark humor wasn't absent: "Well, at least we know what the little cockroach Martina did with the coin she found. She went to Harris Brothers."

This issue is neither new nor exclusive to this store. Reports of cockroaches in foreign currency stores in Havana have been recurring since at least 2018, with documented cases in La Época, Galerías Paseo, the 3ra y 70 market, and numerous freely convertible currency stores.

"A few years ago, there were cockroaches in the basement of La Época and Galerías Paseo, even in the perfumery department where they walked over the makeup. It's disgusting. At 3ra y 70, in the market, there were millions," another user detailed in the Cubanos por el Mundo post.

"Coincidentally, I greeted them today at the Trasval store," another joked.

In April 2022, a Radio Rebelde announcer documented a cockroach among the ham in a Miramar store, publicly questioning the whereabouts of inspectors and noting that state-run centers do not face penalties while private businesses are fined between 2,000 and 8,000 pesos.

The health crisis extends beyond the stores. In July 2025, Havana residents set fire to trash containers due to the proliferation of rats, flies, and cockroaches, and in April, Matanzas issued a provincial health alert for hepatitis A directly linked to garbage accumulation and widespread unsanitary conditions.