A mother of two in Centro Habana has reported living amid a sewage flood for the past three months due to a blocked drain outside her home. The activist Yamilka Lafita, known on Facebook as Lara Crofs, shared her ordeal online, revealing that her house on Desagüe Street at the corner of Oquendo is plagued by a large pool of sewage water right at the entrance.
The family, which includes the mother, her husband, and their two children, mentioned that after the drain outside their home got blocked, they have been surrounded by stagnant water and accumulated garbage without any response from the authorities. The mother noted that her husband and one of her children have already contracted dengue, and the area is teeming with mosquitoes and other pests.
Authorities Unresponsive to Repeated Appeals
Despite the mother's numerous attempts to seek assistance from the relevant authorities, the situation remains unresolved. Both the director and inspectors of Aguas de La Habana in Centro Habana have ignored the complaints, according to the mother.
She also reached out to a team responsible for cleaning drains, who promised to send a high-pressure truck to clear the blockage but never followed through. "They assured me that the truck would come, but it never did. Worse, they laughed when they mentioned my situation. I don't know where else to turn," the mother stated.
Waste Collection Crisis Compounds the Problem
The Facebook post also highlights that the drainage issue is exacerbated by the surrounding streets being filled with trash. The regime faces a significant problem with solid waste collection, leading residents in some areas, like Santiago de Cuba, to set fire to overflowing garbage piles around the city.
Health authorities have also indicated a lack of fuel and resources to carry out mosquito fumigation campaigns, despite the ongoing circulation of dengue and Oropouche fever on the island.