This week, a Cuban living abroad took to Facebook to expose a stark reality with photographs showing huge piles of garbage accumulating in the heart of Ciego de Ávila. The trash is visibly scattered in front of the Guiñol Theater, a prominent spot in the bustling City of the Portals.
Liubin Lima Manzano, the individual behind the post, didn't mince words: "Ladies and gentlemen, this isn't some remote area. It's not an isolated path. It's right in the city's core."
The images depict crushed cardboard boxes, plastic bags, organic waste, and wilted flowers strewn across colonial mosaic sidewalks, juxtaposed with green-painted columns and vintage wooden doors. Lima Manzano bluntly describes these scenes as the most jarring symbol of the disparity between official propaganda and the harsh reality.
"We have a twelve-story building standing tall with two enormous flags, flags that should be enough to cover what one of them has caused," he remarked.
From his vantage point in exile, Lima Manzano highlights the gap between the social media narrative and the on-ground situation: "What a beautiful country we have on social media... it's a pity there's a real one, like the one in the photo, in real life."
Lima Manzano refuses to partake in crafting "a fantasy Cuba where problems vanish with a well-written post." He concludes with a stark statement: "Normalizing filth is not progress."
This complaint is far from isolated. Earlier this year, the garbage crisis in Havana gained international attention when it was reported that only 44 of the 106 garbage trucks in the capital were operational, leaving 23,814 cubic meters of waste uncollected daily in a city that produces between 24,000 and 30,000 cubic meters. In Matanzas, only 11 of 24 trucks were functioning due to a diesel shortage.
The Broader Crisis Across Cuba
Ciego de Ávila is not immune to this collapse. In April 2026, official media acknowledged more than 150 micro-dumps in the city and announced a sweeping plan covering over 200 kilometers of streets. Meanwhile, in Morón, a municipality within the same province, the "Clean Route" project was launched earlier this year to improve waste management. However, as the photos reveal, these initiatives have yet to solve the issue.
This pattern is echoed across the island. Holguín, Cienfuegos, Bayamo, and Artemisa have witnessed similar complaints in recent months. The underlying causes remain consistent: fuel shortages, a decaying vehicle fleet, lack of infrastructure investment, and a deficit of waste containers.
At the end of 2025, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz acknowledged the failure of institutions to address the waste crisis, but this admission has not led to any visible improvements.
Lima Manzano concludes his message with a mix of sorrow and wounded pride: "The sadness of looking at my city from afar and finding that, instead of missing it, I sometimes have to make an effort to recognize it first."
Understanding Cuba's Waste Management Crisis
What are the main causes of the garbage crisis in Cuba?
The primary factors include fuel shortages, a deteriorating fleet of garbage trucks, insufficient infrastructure investment, and a lack of waste containers.
How has the government responded to the waste issue?
Although the government has acknowledged the problem and announced various initiatives, such as sweeping plans and projects like "Clean Route," these efforts have not yet resulted in significant improvements.