Story perspectives

Havana Opens 122 Temporary Landfills Amid U.S. Blockade

5/9/2026

Summary

Story summary

Havana set up 122 temporary waste sites, 24 with controlled incineration, after the U.S. oil blockade’s fourth month cut garbage-truck capacity to under half.
Resident Francisco Castillo reports flies, rats, foul odors and rising gastrointestinal illnesses while the Cuban Neuroscience Center warns trash-burn pollutants can linger for years and remain in bodies for a decade.
The El Bote del 100 landfill holds an estimated 1.8 billion cubic feet of waste.

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Story summary

Havana set up 122 temporary waste sites, 24 with controlled incineration, after the U.S. oil blockade’s fourth month cut garbage-truck capacity to under half.
Resident Francisco Castillo reports flies, rats, foul odors and rising gastrointestinal illnesses while the Cuban Neuroscience Center warns trash-burn pollutants can linger for years and remain in bodies for a decade.
The El Bote del 100 landfill holds an estimated 1.8 billion cubic feet of waste.