00:00Piled high all around Havana, uncollected rubbish is rotting in the open air, much to the despair
00:07of residents.
00:09Here in Havana, it's everywhere. It's been more than 10 days since a rubbish truck came.
00:16Waste management has long been a problem in Cuba, but an oil shortage has made the situation
00:21worse. Due to a lack of fuel, more than half of Havana's rubbish trucks are out of service,
00:27according to state media. And while some people rummage through the trash looking for items
00:32to reuse, others are concerned about health risks.
00:37This has been going on since before, the oil problem, and now it's serious, critical, very
00:41critical. Rubbish promotes the spread of diseases.
00:45The severe fuel crisis is a result of the United States cutting off crucial oil supplies once
00:51imported from Venezuela, the island's main supplier. It followed Washington's bloody
00:56military raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro at the beginning of January.
01:02Mexico also said it was halting shipments after the US threatened tariffs. It's forced
01:08Cuba's communist government to implement rationing measures to protect essential services, with
01:14the country already suffering from severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine. The Trump administration
01:20argues the oil blockade will increase pressure for political change in Cuba, though the UN has
01:26voiced concern over humanitarian consequences.
Comments