A Cuban woman has turned to sarcasm to highlight the dire sanitary conditions plaguing her neighborhood. Presenting herself as "Mama Lucinda," she describes herself as a resident "living amidst the dump" and cites her "favorite place in the world" as the William Soler Pediatric Hospital, where she takes her sick daughter every week.
Her complaint, posted on Facebook, included two photographs taken from a building in the Altahabana district, located in the Boyeros municipality. The images depict a drainage canal and a street completely overtaken by solid waste, debris, tires, and plastics, all piled up near Cuba's main pediatric hospital.
"My favorite place in the world is the William Soler. Every week, I take a little trip there with my daughter, who just loves getting pricked for vomiting, diarrhea, dengue, etc. The best part is that I always go with my neighbors, who are also fans of the five-star services at William Soler," the author wrote.
Her sarcasm culminates in a simple message: "I don't know what will become of my neighbors and me when, in 15 years, they finally clean up this dump."
A commenter clarified the exact location of the dump: "If I'm not mistaken, that's on L and 7th Street, practically behind the William Soler."
Other Cubans joined in with messages of outrage. "Altahabana has turned into a dump. There's no street to turn on, nowhere to walk. Sometimes you just want to scream, often you just want to cry," one person wrote.
"It's heartbreaking to see our children grow up in a country so filthy it makes them sick over and over again," an internet user remarked.
The same garbage dump had been reported in October by another resident of the district, who described mounds of waste that nearly blocked traffic entirely.
Garbage Crisis in Havana Shows No Signs of Resolution
The situation in Altahabana is not an isolated case but rather a reflection of a broader sanitary crisis in the country, characterized by a surge in disease vectors, viral infections, and an overwhelming accumulation of waste that clogs the streets of Havana and other cities.
At the beginning of 2026, only 44 out of 106 garbage trucks in the capital were operational due to diesel shortages and mechanical failures. The city generates between 24,000 and 30,000 cubic meters of waste daily, with up to 23,814 cubic meters potentially remaining uncollected each day.
The regime announced a plan of 49 measures in February 2026, yet active garbage dumps have proliferated in Boyeros, Centro Habana, Luyanó, San Miguel del Padrón, and Old Havana, among other municipalities.
The accumulation of waste next to the William Soler University Pediatric Hospital exacerbates the health risk. The center is overwhelmed with emergencies, lacks medications, suffers power outages, and is short-staffed. During a visit to the hospital in late October, the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged the presence of many of these issues.
Stagnant water among the waste, which is ideal for breeding dengue-carrying mosquitoes, turns the environment into a direct threat to neighborhood children and hospital patients.
Understanding the Garbage Crisis in Havana
What is the main issue highlighted by the Cuban resident in Altahabana?
The resident uses irony to bring attention to the massive garbage accumulation in her neighborhood, particularly around the William Soler Pediatric Hospital, which poses significant health risks.
How has the garbage crisis affected Havana?
The garbage crisis has led to severe sanitary conditions throughout Havana, with waste overwhelming streets, leading to increased disease vectors and viral infections.
What measures has the regime taken to address the garbage crisis?
In February 2026, the regime announced a plan of 49 measures aimed at tackling the issue, but the situation remains unresolved as garbage dumps continue to spread across multiple municipalities.