When Will It End? Holguín Residents Voice Outrage Over Piles of Trash Near Homes

The mounting piles of trash next to homes in Holguín have sparked renewed criticisms of the urban hygiene decline and neighborhood neglect, spotlighting a city once hailed for its cleanliness that residents now compare to a landfill.

The issue was brought to light by Israel García Góngora on Facebook, where he posted a photo taken in front of his home showing a heap of garbage and debris beside a multi-story apartment building.

The image features cardboard boxes, bricks, plastics, and household waste amassed near residential areas, affecting numerous families living there.

Góngora's post included a question that encapsulates his frustration: "How much longer must the Cuban people live like this?" he asked.

"This isn't about luxury, comforts, or extraordinary demands. It's about something as fundamental as trash collection, keeping streets clean, and safeguarding public health," Góngora emphasized.

He warned that the accumulation of waste encourages flies, cockroaches, and rodents, creates foul odors, and poses health risks to nearby residents. He also condemned the lack of action regarding an issue that impacts the living conditions of the local community.

"A city's cleanliness is also about dignity. Hygiene is health. Living in dignified conditions should not be a privilege," he concluded.

The post drew numerous reactions from citizens mourning the decline of the "City of Parks," which older residents remember for its pristine streets.

"Holguín, my beautiful city, was once the cleanest in Cuba, and now it's heartbreaking to see its decline and neglect; each neighborhood has turned into a dump, even the city center... officials are blind and aren't seeking solutions, and the diseases continue," one user commented.

Another summed up the situation starkly: "You can't walk anymore. All of Holguín is like this. It's a dump."

"My lovely city of Holguín, the city of parks, was always the cleanest; every park had bins for trash, and people wouldn't litter. Now, it's as dirty as the rest of the country; there's a dump on every corner, in front of schools, hospitals, and daycare centers," lamented another resident, echoing the sentiments of many in Holguín.

In early October, residents highlighted a dumpsite near the central Plaza de la Marqueta, a daycare center, and food kiosks, pointing out that collection trucks pass by but fail to pick up the trash.

"There are trucks and more trucks; it's not a lack of fuel, it's a lack of organization and interest in keeping our city clean," a local resident complained.

In late September, a resident reported makeshift landfills in the Lenin neighborhood, close to the "Mis primeros años" daycare center and the "Amistad con los pueblos" school.

"The smell is unbearable; it's been over a month since the trash was last collected," she cautioned, underlining the risk of arbovirosis and hepatitis among children.

In September, the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) acknowledged a simultaneous rise in dengue, diarrhea, and hepatitis linked to sanitation failures.

In response, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) donated 50 fumigation units to the province to bolster control of the Aedes aegypti mosquito in its 14 municipalities.

The eviction of over 350 vendors from the informal Los Chinos market, under the guise of addressing unsanitary conditions, has not solved the problem, as the kiosks in their new location are again surrounded by trash.