Havana Drowning in Garbage: Only 44 of 106 Trash Trucks Operating

Cuba’s fuel crisis has spilled beyond blackouts and paralyzed transportation. Now, the streets of Havana have become makeshift landfills, with mountains of garbage accumulating on corners, avenues, and residential neighborhoods for over ten consecutive days.

Only 44 Trucks for 2 Million People

According to data cited by Reuters, Cuba’s capital has just 44 functioning garbage trucks out of a total of 106. The lack of diesel has sidelined more than half the fleet, making it impossible to serve the city’s more than two million residents.

“It’s been more than 10 days since a garbage truck came by,” a Vedado resident told international media. Similar scenes are playing out across Centro Habana, Cerro, Marianao, and virtually every municipality in the capital.

A Looming Public Health Emergency

The waste accumulation is far more than an aesthetic problem. Health experts have warned for years that the proliferation of mosquitoes and rodents increases the risk of infectious diseases, including dengue, leptospirosis, and chikungunya.

Cuba already faces a medicine shortage near 70%, which would make containing any epidemic outbreak extremely difficult. The health system, already operating with reduced medical brigades and dialysis patients at risk, could hardly absorb an additional health emergency.

Beyond Havana

The problem isn’t limited to the capital. Provinces like Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, and Camagüey report similar scenes, according to Infobae. In a context of generalized shortages of food, medicine, and basic services, the garbage crisis adds to a growing list of emergencies the government admits it cannot solve in the short term.

A Structural Problem Made Worse by Crisis

As CiberCuba notes, Cuba’s garbage crisis is not a new phenomenon. For at least two decades, structural inefficiency, lack of infrastructure investment, and an obsolete vehicle fleet have prevented a sustainable solution.

What has changed is the scale. The U.S. oil blockade, suspended shipments from Venezuela and Mexico, and the prioritization of fuel for hospitals and strategic centers have turned a chronic problem into an acute emergency.

Rationed Fuel: The “Ticket” System

The government has restricted gasoline access through a digital platform called “Ticket”, allowing drivers to obtain up to 20 liters of fuel per turn. But the system is overwhelmed: thousands of people wait weeks for their turn, and many resort to the black market where a liter can cost up to six dollars.

The Díaz-Canel administration suspended sales in national currency and required dollar payments for the few available dispatches — a measure that has generated even more frustration among the population.

What Comes Next?

While negotiations between the U.S. and Cuba continue and small fuel shipments begin arriving through private channels, the waste keeps piling up. The United Nations has expressed concern over the humanitarian situation, but for the millions of Cubans living alongside mountains of trash, rats, and mosquitoes, diplomatic solutions can’t come fast enough.