Cuban health authorities warn of serious public health effects from indiscriminate garbage burning in Havana. This practice, carried out by both residents and municipal workers, produces toxic smoke affecting densely populated neighborhoods near hospitals and schools. Local government and medical centers have issued alerts on respiratory, neurological, and cancer risks.
Garbage burning has become common in Havana amid a waste collection crisis, worsened by fuel shortages. Residents like Tony in Guanabacoa describe corner dumps being set alight almost daily, creating a visible smoke haze from elevated city areas. "The garbage dump on the corner of my house is set on fire almost every day. There are moments when the neighborhood looks foggy—and it’s not fog, it’s smoke," Tony recounted.
This occurs near sensitive sites: last Friday, a social media user reported a burning site just 50 meters from the Clínico Quirúrgico Hospital in Puentes Grandes, Plaza de la Revolución municipality, surrounded by elderly people and children. The Cuban Neurosciences Center warned on Facebook about the toxicity: "This practice is gravely toxic to your health and your brain," noting it releases heavy metals and dioxins that cross the blood-brain barrier, impacting memory, children's cognitive development, and triggering neurodegenerative diseases, while also damaging lungs, heart, soil, and water.
Havana's city government issued a similar alert on Monday, highlighting respiratory issues, cancer, and neurological disorders, with fine particles aggravating asthma. Users welcome the warnings but blame authorities: "The warning is not for the population—it’s for the relevant authorities, who seem not to care about the grave and dangerous situation," one resident said. Reports indicate not only citizens but also Communal Services workers burn garbage; in Regla, two employees were seen near a smoldering dump close to Frank País elementary school.
A Cerro employee denied higher orders, calling it social indiscipline. In Guanabacoa, jobs are offered to those with animal-drawn carts for waste collection, paid by performance. The issue dates back decades, like the 100th Street dump contaminating Marianao, La Lisa, and Boyeros. The crisis intensifies due to the U.S. oil blockade since late January. Last week, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero and Esteban Lazo assessed creating 122 temporary storage points, stressing citizen discipline and strategies like animal carts or electric vehicles in provinces.
