Mobilization in Camagüey Neighborhood Sparks Criticism Amid Rumored Díaz-Canel Visit: "Garbage Collected Because the Handpicked Leader is Passing Through"

The usual calm in the Sánchez Soto neighborhood of Camagüey was disrupted this Friday by an extensive presence of uniformed personnel, military vehicles, and security forces stationed on the rooftops of residential buildings. This unusual activity hinted at a potential visit from Miguel Díaz-Canel, as reported by the independent outlet La Hora de Cuba on Facebook.

Images circulated on social media revealed groups clad in white uniforms, typically worn by healthcare workers or medical students, alongside an olive-green military vehicle and a security agent positioned on the roof of a dilapidated residential building.

However, the residents' main gripe was not with the security forces but with the sudden and exceptional garbage collection that preceded the rumored visit. This cleanup was starkly at odds with the usual accumulation of trash on the neighborhood's streets.

"They picked up the trash from the streets where the handpicked leader will pass so as not to offend his delicate eyes and nose," commented one local resident on the social media post.

Another resident voiced their frustration even more bluntly: "That's why they collected all the garbage from the neighborhood, but they forgot to throw out Canel," they remarked.

A third individual provided a description of the area just before the cleanup. "Moments before, the area was disgusting, with overflowing dumpsters taking up half the street. What a lack of respect, living in this nonsense," they wrote.

The criticisms extended to the electric service. A resident noted that the neighborhood had uninterrupted electricity starting at 8:00 AM, attributing this rare occurrence to the leader's presence. His comment highlighted another grievance among locals, who are accustomed to frequent power outages.

The resources allocated for the president's mobility amid the country's economic hardships were also questioned. "Didn't they say he won't visit provinces due to fuel expenses?" another user inquired.

Dissatisfaction spread to other areas of Camagüey, where the buildup of waste remains a problem. "He should have passed by the corner of Ojo de Agua in Dolores Betancourt to see if they'd clean the massive dump there," another resident suggested.

The images and reactions underscore the residents' discontent, questioning the timing of street cleanups coinciding with a possible official visit. The presence of Díaz-Canel in the Sánchez Soto neighborhood was not confirmed in the information shared by La Hora de Cuba.

In July, a resident from the Diez de Octubre municipality in Havana shared a viral video, revealing that locals only learned of the presidential visit after it had occurred, describing similar conditions: accumulated garbage, flies, blackouts, and a lack of medicines.

Camagüey faces a chronic sanitation crisis. The city produces approximately 220 tons of waste daily, yet only 35% to 40% of that amount is collected.

In August, a resident reported two months without garbage collection on her street. Early in September, significant waste buildup was documented near a store in the Historic Center, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Recently, two nearly 80-year-old individuals were seen clearing trash around the Santa Ana church due to the absence of municipal services.

The security entourage accompanying Díaz-Canel on his provincial tours, featuring BMW vehicles and multiple escorts, has been frequently documented. In May 2024, during a hospital visit in Matanzas, the convoy took a wrong turn, resulting in a panic-stricken reaction from the escorts, an incident captured on video and widely mocked.