Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, the first secretary of the Communist Party (PCC) in Santiago de Cuba, announced that the provincial government can only guarantee electrical service in residential circuits for three to four hours a day.
In a statement on Facebook, Johnson stated that the power outages are due to the tense situation of the National Electric Power System (SEN) and urged the people of Santiago to show "empathy."
"We are at the Provincial Electric Office, assessing the tense energy situation in the country. We prioritize hospitals and ensure between three and four hours of electricity for residential circuits, with an atypical rotation aimed at securing at least four hours a day. In light of the situation, there is much solidarity and empathy," wrote the official.
The publication sparked a wave of critical reactions from citizens, who expressed their frustration over the prolonged blackouts and the apparent inequality in the distribution of impacts among the provinces.
Some residents of Santiago questioned the lack of planning and the limited transparency in the management of the energy crisis in Cuba.
A user pointed out that "if they plan to guarantee four hours of electricity service per day, they should at least create a schedule that allows for basic household functions, as the electricity company is not responsible for damaged equipment or spoiled food."
Another person highlighted the contradiction in the figures provided by the authorities. "Explain to me how, on a Sunday with a significant drop in temperature, we have consumption levels higher than those during the hot months of July and August."
"Why is there such an uneven distribution of impacts among provinces?" a commentator remarked, while a Cuban mother took the opportunity to emphasize the leaders' disconnection from the reality faced by the hardest-hit families.
"You cannot ask for solidarity and empathy when you are not the one in the shoes of many families in Santiago who cannot afford a generator and have small children at home."
This Sunday, Cubans experienced a day of prolonged power outages due to a significant generation deficit, with a shortfall of 1,421 MW during peak demand hours.
The energy crisis in Cuba, which has worsened in recent years, continues to impact the population with extended power outages, a shortage of fuel for cooking, and a climate of uncertainty in one of the most affected provinces of the country, due to weather events and even recent earthquakes.
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