Smoke from burning garbage piles has become part of the everyday landscape on nearly every street in Havana. Residents set them ablaze to fight pests like flies and mosquitoes, despite health risks. The cycle repeats without resolution.
In Havana, smoke rising from burning garbage piles appears between buildings, electrical cables, and balconies. Flames consume plastic bags, cardboard, old car tires, and other refuse, as the smoke mixes with the city's warm air. The smell lingers in streets and drifts into nearby homes, where residents watch a frequently repeating, unpleasant scene. They recognize burning garbage harms health but see it as the only immediate way to tackle unbearable pests like flies and mosquitoes that enter houses. A neighbor explained: “We know that this is harmful to our health, but there comes a point when we can’t take it anymore. The garbage piles up and then the flies and mosquitoes start coming; they get inside the house.” The decision to ignite comes when the issue becomes impossible to ignore. After the fire dies, ashes scatter on the asphalt alongside the burned garbage smell. Yet the problem endures: fresh waste soon piles up in the same spot, restarting the cycle. This scene unfolds in various Havana neighborhoods, with residents improvising amid basic waste collection failures. Smoke keeps rising as a quiet reminder of unresolved daily challenges. (Photos by Idania Cárdenas)