• From their monthly television magazine, the Las Tunas main political and government authorities highlighted the value of prevention and coordinated action by all social actors as the most effective way to confront social indiscipline, as well as the manifestations of corruption detected in this territory.

PRIORITY TO COMMUNAL HYGIENE

One of the biggest concerns of the party leadership here is the situation of solid waste, and not only in the provincial capital, agreed Osbel Lorenzo Rodríguez, first secretary of the Party in Balcón de Oriente. This perception is consistent with the opinion of the citizens of Las Tunas, who, in opinion polls conducted by 26, ranked the disposal of garbage in inappropriate places as their main concern in this regard.

Lorenzo Rodríguez pointed out that, regardless of the material shortcomings suffered by communal services, there have been failures in their organizational management. However, the party leader criticized the practices of the population, which often complicate the problem by dumping debris and tree pruning waste. In this regard, he called for popular collaboration.

He also agreed that the increase in the number of properties from which non-state entities sell various products has added to the volume of waste to be collected daily. Often, he noted, this waste is left in unauthorized places. “We have to prepare differently in this regard to discuss with these actors,” he said. This is so that the legitimate exercise of their commercial activities does not detract from community hygiene. “We can do much more in pursuit of dialogue with them,” he said.

In this regard, Yelenys Tornet Menéndez agreed that there has been a considerable increase in the amount of garbage to be collected after each day, especially in the territorial capital, while the workforce available to carry out the task has fallen. The city of Las Tunas, she explained, was divided into four zones to make more rational use of the resources available for this task, although she admitted that there is a chronic shortage of trucks and tractors. At the same time, she added, work is being done to increase the number of cart drivers and discussions are being held with non-state actors to convince them to hire waste collection services, as well as with private companies that offer such services.

The governor also criticized those whose irresponsible actions hinder this sanitation effort. “Every action must be taken in conjunction with the people,” she said.

In response to the public perception that there is impunity when it comes to littering our streets, towns, and cities, Tornet Menéndez pointed out that in 2025 alone, the corps of inspectors imposed 2,048 fines for waste-related violations. But, she insisted, prevention and not littering will always be more effective.

She did not shy away from referring to what is happening with the pedestrian walkways in the capital of Las Tunas, which are deteriorating due to a lack of maintenance, cleaning, and the bad behavior of passersby. On this issue, the governor said that a repair program is underway that includes limiting the passage of bicycles and even cars to these areas by means of physical barriers. She assured that the presence of inspection and law enforcement forces in these areas will be increased. However, she estimated that anything done by the institutions will be useless if it is not accompanied by citizen cooperation.

Given the existence of alcohol sales outlets in areas near schools or health centers, she announced that the authorizations issued in this regard will be reviewed.

NO NEED JUSTIFIES BREAKING THE LAW

“We need to study all existing forms of indiscipline, how we will deal with them, and most importantly, how to prevent them,” said Osbel Lorenzo Rodríguez. Prevention has been lacking, and the signs of deterioration in values are clear, he explained.

“We must evaluate this with social factors in mind,” he said. “We cannot make mistakes in granting licenses to recreational centers, nor in addressing the indiscriminate use of music and horns in vehicles. Why is this allowed? We have to regulate all these aspects,” he said.

The solution that electric motorcycles are providing for transportation cannot be at odds with compliance with the Traffic Code. Responsibility in this area is shared between the authorities, state institutions, but above all, the family, the first secretary emphasized.
“No economic hardship justifies the commission of crimes, much less acts of corruption,” he reflected.

Concerning drugs, Lorenzo Rodríguez stressed that the battle is won when consumption does not begin. The confrontation exists, he said, based on zero tolerance; but, he reiterated, a key term is prevention.

Social indiscipline in Las Tunas has mutated into flagrant crimes such as the theft of electrical cables, oil from transformers, and even the theft of one of these pieces of equipment. The misdeeds include thefts from warehouses and homes; in this case, felonies that, the governor admitted, have increased in recent years. On this issue, she described the support of citizens for the efforts of law enforcement agencies to tackle these abuses as crucial.