A Cuban mother, visibly affected, has shared a video where she denounces the precarious situation she is living with her three children due to the massive blackout that has been impacting Cuba since October 18, 2024. In the recording, the woman shows how she is forced to cook with firewood, as the lack of electricity and gas has overwhelmed her home, leaving her with no options to prepare food. The video has been uploaded to Facebook by independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada.
"Look at how I have to be improvising," the woman expresses while pointing to a makeshift stove where she is trying to boil water over firewood. With tears and a voice broken by despair, she recounts that the only thing she has to feed her children is a little spaghetti with salt. Her anguish is palpable as she explains that she has no more food to give them.
More than 72 hours without electricity and months of continuous blackouts.
The Cuban mother reports that she has been without electricity for more than 72 hours, a situation that is not new for her or for millions of Cubans. This massive blackout is just the latest episode in a long series of power cuts that have affected the island in recent years. "I have no power, I have no gas," she states while recounting that the authorities assure that these will be the first 72 hours of many more to come.
This prolonged blackout adds to months and even years of continuous blackouts that have plagued Cuba, especially in the most vulnerable areas. Families have had to learn to survive without the most basic resources, improvising methods to cook and subsist amid an energy crisis that seems endless.
Politicians not keeping promises
The woman also makes a strong appeal to the political leaders, stating that "they say they are working to solve this, but they never deliver." This testimony reflects the growing discontent and distrust of the population towards the Cuban government, which has been unable to fulfill its promises to improve the energy situation in the country.
For years, politicians have promised a definitive solution to the constant blackouts, but the reality in the streets is very different. Cubans have had to endure almost daily blackouts, many of them without prior notice, severely affecting their quality of life. The impact of the lack of electricity extends beyond homes, paralyzing economic activity, limiting access to essential services, and deepening the sense of abandonment among the population.
Survive with what little is left
The testimony of this mother is a reflection of the desperation felt by many Cuban families. The lack of electricity and gas has forced them to resort to archaic survival methods, such as cooking with firewood, something that was thought to be part of the past. While preparing what little she has for her children, she mentions that she has had to search for twigs in the surroundings to be able to start a fire. "This is how I have to keep improvising," she repeats several times, emphasizing her indignation at having to live under these conditions.
With her account, she exposes not only the lack of resources but also the helplessness of being unable to offer her children anything more than a plate of spaghetti with salt. The image of this mother cooking over firewood while speaking about the lack of light and gas is a symbol of the deep crisis that the island is experiencing, a crisis that has lasted for months and years, with no solution in sight.
Without clear answers or solutions
As the video progresses, the woman expresses uncertainty about when the electricity service will be restored. Like so many other Cubans, she has learned not to trust the government's announcements. "They say it will be 72 hours, but we never know when the light will come back," she comments with a tone of resignation, recalling the endless blackouts she has had to endure in the past.
This mass blackout is just another reflection of the structural problems facing Cuba, where the energy infrastructure continues to collapse and the leaders fail to provide clear solutions. Meanwhile, the population continues to face prolonged outages, forced to seek alternatives to survive in a country where blackouts have become part of daily life.
A testimony that reflects the reality of many Cubans.
The video of this Cuban mother is a cry for help amidst an unsustainable situation. Her story reflects that of millions of Cubans who, for months and years, have had to endure continuous blackouts, unfulfilled promises, and a general sense of abandonment by the government. The desperation of having to cook with firewood, in a country that once had a more stable energy system, is an image that captures the progressive deterioration of living conditions on the island.
As the massive blackout continues to affect millions of people, stories like that of this Cuban mother serve as a reminder of the difficulties the population faces in their daily lives and the urgency of finding real solutions to a crisis that seems never-ending.
On October 18, 2024, Cuba suffered a massive blackout due to the total disconnection of the National Electro-Energy System (SEN), leaving millions of Cubans without electricity. The cause was the shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras thermal power plant, one of the most important in the country. Although the government reported that it was working to restore the service, they admitted there was no defined timeline for doing so. In Havana, even the José Martí International Airport was left in the dark, affecting operations.
In the eastern provinces, such as Santiago de Cuba and Holguín, the power outages have been prolonged, and in some areas, residents have been without electricity for over 72 hours. This has led citizens to publicly demonstrate. In Báguanos, Holguín, a group of neighbors protested demanding the restoration of electrical service, shouting "We want power!". These protests reflect the growing discontent of the population with the energy crisis.
What do you think?
COMMENTFiled under:
