A video shared on Facebook Wednesday reveals the corner of Ánimas and Monserrate in Old Havana has become an open-air dump. Piles of trash bags, cardboard, and waste have accumulated in front of crumbling colonial buildings in the city's historic district.
Captured from the sidewalk across from the Balaguer building, near the Museum of Fine Arts, the footage shows a broken concrete sidewalk covered in debris left uncollected for days, alongside a garbage container melted by fire.
The video has garnered nearly 47,500 views and over 140 comments, reflecting a mix of outrage and resignation among viewers.
The Legacy of Eusebio Leal
The stark contrast with the recent past is evident. For nearly forty years, historian Eusebio Leal (1942-2020) transformed Old Havana into a global model of urban preservation, restoring hundreds of colonial buildings, plazas, and palaces since he took over the Office of the Historian of the City in 1981.
In 1982, UNESCO recognized Old Havana's Historic Center as a World Heritage Site. By 2016, Havana earned the title of "Wonder City of the Modern World," an accolade awarded by the Swiss foundation New7Wonders.
In 2020, the Canadian online travel company Flight Network ranked the Cuban capital among the 50 most beautiful cities in the world.
Mounting Frustrations Among Cubans
Only six years after Leal's passing, many of the streets he helped restore are buried under uncollected garbage.
Cubans who viewed the video didn't hide their discontent. One user remarked, "If Eusebio Leal were to come back to life, he'd die again." Another viewer summarized the scene succinctly: "Look at the capital of Cuba, what a horror." A third commenter was more blunt, stating, "This is how all of Havana looks in every municipality."
Garbage Crisis Escalates in Havana
The garbage collection crisis in Havana has left only 44 out of 106 garbage trucks operational due to a fuel shortage, resulting in up to 23,814 cubic meters of waste left uncollected each day.
The government, led by Miguel Díaz-Canel, admitted in December 2025 that it cannot clean the capital or pay street sweepers adequately.
On several occasions, young military service members have been mobilized to collect trash with shovels and sacks, yet the situation remains unresolved.
Health Implications and Wider Issues
The crisis extends beyond Old Havana. Recently, a fire consumed part of a garbage pile at the corner of 15 and K in El Vedado, just steps from the national headquarters of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution. Similarly, the corner of Monte and Águila in Jesús María was reported as another makeshift dump.
The health consequences are severe. Cuba ended 2025 with at least 81,909 cases of dengue and chikungunya and 65 official deaths, a situation The New York Times linked directly to the garbage crisis.
Historian Julio César González Pagés described the dire situation candidly. "With summer approaching amidst trash and feces, Havana faces a shortage of water, hygiene, and medicine, echoing the worst of its colonial past," he noted, drawing a parallel to 1735 when colonial authorities first ordered systematic street cleaning in Havana.
Understanding Havana's Garbage Crisis
What has caused the garbage crisis in Havana?
The garbage crisis in Havana is primarily due to a severe shortage of operational garbage trucks, exacerbated by a lack of fuel. This has led to a significant backlog of uncollected waste across the city.
How has the Cuban government responded to the waste management issue?
The Cuban government has acknowledged its inability to adequately clean the capital and compensate street sweepers. Efforts to involve military service members in cleaning operations have not yielded lasting improvements.
What are the potential health risks associated with the garbage crisis?
The accumulation of waste has been linked to a surge in diseases such as dengue and chikungunya, posing serious health risks to the population.