LIMA, Peru – The lack of fuel, equipment and parts for garbage collection in Havana has caused the burning of garbage cans in the Cuban capital as a desperate measure by the population in the face of the accumulation of waste.
The Minister of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA) of Cuba, Armando Rodríguez Batista, criticized the situation through a post on Facebookrecognizing that in recent days there have been “hard times regarding air pollution in the capital.”
According to the official, through CITMA offices and digital social networks, “multiple” concerns have been received from the population, deputies, and public officials about the presence of smoke in various parts of Havana.
“Citizen reports reach us through various means: comments on our Facebook page, statements in community spaces and formal complaints at our headquarters,” said Rodríguez Batista.
The owner commented that residents of several municipalities in Havana have expressed their concern about the effects caused by the burning of solid waste in their daily lives.
Likewise, he warned that the presence of smoke in neighborhoods is not a minor issue since it threatens people’s health and harms the environment.
According to the minister, CITMA does not encourage or promote open burning of garbage dumps without adequate security as a common practice.
“We know that this behavior generates pollution, affects the health of our people and deteriorates the environment,” he stressed.
At the same time, Rodríguez Batista resorted to the preferred scapegoat of the Cuban authorities and cited the United States embargo as an argument for the current problem.
“In these difficult times caused by fuel shortages, derived from the energy blockade, we face complex situations that require in-depth analysis and immediate solutions“, justified the minister.
In a turn towards the usual rhetoric of the ruling party, the official highlighted that “making the right decisions requires balancing multiple factors: the health of the population, environmental protection and the material conditions” present on the Island.
The garbage crisis in Cuba has reached a critical point, with piles of waste overflowing containers and micro-landfills multiplying on streets and corners throughout the country.
This situation has led to a visible crisis of unhealthiness, affecting the quality of life of Cubans and deteriorating the urban landscape. The lack of fuel for collection trucks and the poor condition of the equipment have prevented effective garbage collection, which has aggravated the health crisis of recent years, especially in the Cuban capital.
