THERE ARE RATS AS BIG AS

@ajplus

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SoundTikTok sound · Mysterious Piano Nocturne

Why it worked

The video effectively uses personal testimonies and vivid imagery of the dire living conditions to create an emotional connection with the audience, highlighting the human impact of systemic issues like the economic blockade and government neglect.

Summary

This video highlights the severe sanitation and public health crisis in Cuba, exacerbated by fuel shortages and the U.S. economic blockade. Residents describe overflowing garbage, rampant pests like rats and cockroaches, and the health risks associated with these conditions, emphasizing the government's responsibility to address the situation.

Structure

1Introduction to the garbage problem and its scale
2Personal impact on residents' health and living conditions
3Discussion of government services and their reduction
4The broader context of the U.S. blockade and its effects
5The struggle for basic necessities like electricity
6Residents' plea for government intervention

Product placement

AJ+ (appears): A logo in the top right corner of the screen throughout the video. Removing it would not change what happens in the video.

On-screen text

THERE ARE RATS AS BIG AS PEOPLE LIZ OLIVA FERNÁNDEZ BELLY OF THE BEAST No fuel means no trash collection. There is a pile like this one every few blocks. And it's even worse for people like Odette, who have to live with it right across her house. When was the last time they picked it up? Maybe a week ago. On Friday I think. It's been much worse. There are cockroaches, ants, mosquitos, flies. Look at how it is right now! It's disgusting. Since January 2026, the U.S. has threatened tariffs on any country providing Cuba with oil. Only one oil tanker has entered Cuba since. And government services, like trash collection and buses, have been forced to reduce. What worries you most? I'm worried about our health. We have elderly people living here, children, sick people, like me - I was on dialysis for years, you know? I'm in remission, but this can hurt me. Look, she's one of my neighbors who is also being affected. Those are worms, look. These worms, where they come from? From the garbage! They come all the way inside, and we have to fumigate. - That costs you money, I imagine. - Of course it costs money. And, so, this is the reality out here, outside your door. Show me what's inside. These are cockroaches? - Yes, cockroaches. We try to keep everything clean here. - Yes, there's even a difference in the smell from outside. - You will see that I'm not wealthy, but here we are. What I have is what you see. But I try to keep everything clean and organized. I live with my nephew, his wife, my son and my daughter-in-law, but they aren't here. I'm worried about the cockroaches, I'm worried about the flies because when it rains, the flies automatically come in. Every summer, mosquito-borne diseases like dengue increase in Cuba. A nationwide shortage of medications makes it even harder to fight against them. And so we have to avoid all those diseases, because my health makes me vulnerable. It's not up to us, who are poor, to fix this. It's the government's responsibility. - You're right. The U.S. has imposed an economic blockade on Cuba for the past six decades. But now, the Trump administration is threatening military intervention. We don't have the means to rent a car and remove the garbage ourselves. There's no fuel to even give us four hours of electricity. We can't even talk about that, because everyone knows the situation the country is facing.

Original caption

As Cuba grapples with fuel shortages, public services like waste collection have been scaled back. The shortages come amid a decades-long U.S. economic blockade and new U.S. threats to impose tariffs on countries supplying Cuba with oil. Here’s what Cubans told @bellyofthebeastcuba. #Cuba #Blockade #Sanitation

More from @ajplus

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Transcript

there are rats as big as people Liz Oliva Fernández Belly of the Beast No fuel means no trash collection. There is a pile like this one every few blocks. And it's even worse for people like Odette, who have to live with it right across her house. When was the last time they picked it up? Maybe a week ago. On Friday I think. It's been much worse. There are cockroaches, ants, mosquitos, flies. Look at how it is right now! It's disgusting. Since January 2026, the U.S. has threatened tariffs on any country providing Cuba with oil. Only one oil tanker has entered Cuba since. And government services, like trash collection and buses, have been forced to reduce. What worries you most? I'm worried about our health. We have elderly people living here, children, sick people, like me - I was on dialysis for years, you know? I'm in remission, but this can hurt me. Look, she's one of my neighbors who is also being affected. Those are worms, look. These worms, where they come from? From the garbage! They come all the way inside, and we have to fumigate. - That costs you money, I imagine. - Of course it costs money. And, so, this is the reality out here, outside your door. Show me what's inside. These are cockroaches? - Yes, cockroaches. We try to keep everything clean here. - Yes, there's even a difference in the smell from outside. - You will see that I'm not wealthy, but here we are. What I have is what you see. But I try to keep everything clean and organized. I live with my nephew, his wife, my son and my daughter-in-law, but they aren't here. I'm worried about the cockroaches, I'm worried about the flies because when it rains, the flies automatically come in. Every summer, mosquito-borne diseases like dengue increase in Cuba. A nationwide shortage of medications makes it even harder to fight against them. And so we have to avoid all those diseases, because my health makes me vulnerable. It's not up to us, who are poor, to fix this. It's the government's responsibility. - You're right. The U.S. has imposed an economic blockade on Cuba for the past six decades. But now, the Trump administration is threatening military intervention. We don't have the means to rent a car and remove the garbage ourselves. There's no fuel to even give us four hours of electricity. We can't even talk about that, because everyone knows the situation the country is facing.