Thick smoke blanketed the narrow streets of Havana, infiltrating homes, schools, and shops. Carlos Blanco, a local chef, opened his bedroom window to investigate the source of the haze. “I saw what looked like mist, but it was actually smoke,” he recounted, referring to the toxic fumes rising from a burning pile of garbage.
As the U.S. oil embargo against Cuba extends into its fourth month, significantly limiting the island’s fuel supplies, large heaps of waste have accumulated on street corners throughout Havana. In response to the fuel shortage, local authorities have chosen to ration gasoline, which has resulted in less than half of the city’s garbage collection trucks being operational.
In their desperation, many residents resort to tossing their household waste into the streets instead of allowing it to pile up indoors while they await collection. With waste removal services diminished, the government has permitted the incineration of garbage in densely populated urban areas. Authorities have established 122 temporary waste collection sites in Havana, with 24 designated for “controlled burning.”
However, open-air burning of waste poses serious health risks and contributes to environmental pollution. The Cuban Neuroscience Center has indicated that uncontrolled fires, which burn at inconsistent temperatures, pose greater dangers than those that are managed properly. “This process releases harmful substances from the waste and creates new compounds as molecules break down and reform in the flames, which can remain in the environment for years and accumulate in the human body for a decade or more,” the health organization warned.
Despite these concerns, Alexis González Inclán, an official from the sanitation department, defended the current practices. “While they are not environmentally ideal, these measures help to reduce risks to public health and maintain urban order,” he explained to the news platform Cubadebate.
As informal waste fires continue to rage across the city, residents express their worries about potential health impacts. At a clothing market in central Havana, Yani Cabrera wore a face mask while white smoke wafted into her shop, enveloping the surrounding terraced buildings and bustling street. “Some people from the street started that fire,” Cabrera said, gesturing toward the smoldering refuse. “I wear this mask when the smoke is heavy… I’m concerned because it is dangerous.”
Cabrera observed that the frequency of waste burning has escalated since the U.S. imposed the blockade in December and January, and she remains pessimistic about any immediate improvements. “We have to try to survive and endure because conditions aren’t getting any better,” she lamented. “What can we do?”
While the smoke from waste incineration presents health and environmental hazards, some Cubans perceive it as the lesser of two evils. Francisco Castillo lives in a dilapidated house in central Havana, where passersby frequently discard garbage bags and rotten food onto a growing pile of refuse, attracting swarms of flies.
Castillo recalled that garbage trucks used to collect waste weekly, but since the blockade, they now come just once a month. “With no proper oversight and infrequent collection, we are facing an epidemic of flies, rats, waste, and foul odors,” he remarked. Despite keeping his front door closed and burning insect-repellent incense, flies still invade his home.
As Cuba nears the rainy season, which lasts from May to November, the accumulation of uncollected waste raises concerns about a resurgence of mosquito-borne diseases. “The flies outside come inside your home. You’re eating, and those flies could contaminate your food. And that’s food you’ll consume,” Castillo noted, sharing his experience of contracting chikungunya, a painful mosquito-borne illness, earlier this year.
“I was bitten by the chikungunya mosquito, and I was extremely sick for several days,” he explained, recalling how the pain in his limbs left him unable to walk.
Poor waste management has been linked to the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, with the Aedes aegypti mosquito thriving in stagnant water found in discarded plastics at rubbish sites, which contributed to a chikungunya epidemic late last year that affected nearly a third of the island’s population.
Dr. Maria Salvador noted that the accumulation of waste has also led to a rise in other health issues. “At the hospital, we have seen an uptick in hygiene-related illnesses and gastrointestinal problems,” she stated, highlighting an increase in hepatitis cases, particularly among children. “It’s challenging to keep an eye on kids—they put everything in their mouths, wander off, and eat things they find on the street.”
Children can often be seen playing marbles and chasing each other near many of Havana’s informal waste sites, while dogs scavenge for scraps. Some desperate locals rummage through the refuse in search of items to sell.
Not only are garbage collection trucks struggling to manage waste, but fumigation also relies on petrol and chemicals, which have become prohibitively expensive due to the blockade. Diego Sanchez, owner of a private fumigation service, reported that his costs have surged tenfold since the U.S. implemented the oil restrictions. He fears that inadequate fumigation will lead to another surge in mosquito infestations. “This year will likely remain the same because there are no clear solutions yet,” he stated, predicting a worsening public health crisis. “I expect disease rates to continue rising if nothing changes.”
In light of the escalating public health challenges, authorities are attempting to modify their waste management strategies. In March, the government introduced the “Cuba Recycles” initiative, a year-long program aimed at promoting recycling awareness and establishing new collection points for recyclable materials. “We don’t have a culture of recycling here—none at all,” Blanco remarked, reflecting on the challenges ahead.
The majority of the city’s waste ends up in a location residents refer to as El Bote del 100 (The Dump on 100), where the situation continues to deteriorate.
