A dump that stretches for more than a block forces pedestrians to walk among tricycles and trucks.
14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 28 October 2026 / On Monte Street, one of Havana’s most popular avenues, a new road hierarchy has been established. Garbage has priority, followed by vehicles, and, if any space is left, pedestrians can use it. At the corner of Antón Recio, a mountain of waste has grown so large that it now stretches for more than a block and has taken over the public roadway, blocking passage along the sidewalk.
This Wednesday, the gigantic garbage dump reigned over the avenue. With its cardboard boxes, burst bags, plastic containers, papers, and pieces of old household appliances, the dump formed an irregular mountain range alongside the porticoes where the avenue’s commercial life once thrived. The accumulation of waste also covered part of the pavement, where electric tricycles, almendrones that serve as shared taxis, and people competed for space.
Perhaps soon some outraged passerby will decide to carry their own sign to warn drivers: “Caution, people walking”
A woman and a child walked alongside the garbage dump, just inches away from motorcycles and trucks. When a pickup truck passed by them, they climbed onto the filth to avoid being run over. Faced with a choice between the danger of microbes and being struck by a vehicle, they chose to risk exposure to the foul fumes. “We’re going to have to wash those sneakers,” the child’s mother lamented as soon as she saw him sink his soles into banana peels and other food scraps that were difficult to identify.
Historically associated with commerce and the constant movement of goods, Monte has become a showcase for the filth spreading throughout the city and the entire country. Even the authorities have finally acknowledged that the so-called micro-dumps have turned into mega-dumps. On this thoroughfare, the garbage does not occupy just one corner; it has also taken over the porticoes, sidewalks, and roadway.
Although no one has yet put up a sign warning of the danger, perhaps soon some outraged passerby will decide to carry their own sign to warn drivers: “Caution, people walking.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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