The ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel visited the municipality of Najasa in Camagüey and inquired about the hardships faced by the population during the worst energy crisis in Cuba's history.
Surrounded by a large group of bodyguards, authorities, and journalists - sprinkled with a few locals (out of the more than 15,000 residents of Najasa registered in 2017) - the also First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) displayed yet another example of incompetence and government propaganda before the cameras of TV Camagüey.
The blackouts during these tough days, right? How many hours are there without power? 20? 20 is a lot. But now it’s about to start getting better; Guiteras should come online this weekend, and Felton will be up and running soon as well. So we should really start seeing improvements now…," the leader stated in an effort to reassure a population worn out by the collapse of the electrical system.
On Friday, February 7th, the day Díaz-Canel visited Najasa, the national electric system (SEN) had seven thermal units out of service and the projected impacts rose to 1,436 MW. Additionally, another breakdown at the Antonio Guiteras thermal power plant (CTE) prevented its synchronization with the SEN, while the Lidio Ramón Pérez CTE (Felton) in Holguín successfully achieved this.
In the midst of a heightened crisis of the SEN, the leader acknowledged that the blackouts lasting up to 20 hours a day were "too much," but promised imminent improvements with the operation of generating plants and photovoltaic parks.
"This month we are going to have… On February 21, we will have the first two photovoltaic parks that will be incorporated from the new investment… In March, we have 6 more photovoltaic parks that will come into operation, and this is how we will continue expanding, and by the end of the year, we will have more than 1,000 megawatts in photovoltaic parks, which will greatly help in achieving the stability of…," Díaz-Canel stated vaguely.
While the Cuban population endures extreme blackouts, the government continues to spend on propaganda and to support a privileged elite that, judging by their constant movements across the island and daily meetings in air-conditioned rooms, does not suffer from the energy crisis.
However, poverty, the decline of public services, and the lack of access to basic goods stand in stark contrast to the image that state-controlled media try to project.
Despite the precarious infrastructure and the hardships faced by the residents, Díaz-Canel assured that "the people look very orderly, very beautiful, very clean." He greeted the young pioneer who was presented to him, asking about the school.
"Little by little we will fix the streets, we will create sidewalks… And we will continue working as you have done, participating, proposing… And each year, we will include in the plan what can be done with the resources that…" said the leader to the najasenses, with a tone of clear reluctance typical of someone who wants to hasten the end of a situation that causes them boredom and discomfort.
Najasa: From Prosperity to Decadence
Before 1959, Najasa was part of the municipality of Camagüey and had an economy based on cattle raising and sugar production.
Its sugar mill, Central Najasa, was a source of employment for thousands of workers, and its infrastructure was part of the development that characterized the region. In the 1950s, Camagüey had nearly half a million cattle and an extensive network of productive farms.
With the triumph of the so-called "Cuban Revolution," Najasa was established as an independent municipality in 1976, losing its connection with the provincial capital. The nationalization of the sugar industry, far from bringing progress, led to the collapse of the local economy. In 2002, the sugar mill was permanently closed and demolished, leaving the population without a source of employment and plunging the region into underdevelopment.
Díaz-Canel's visits to the municipalities have become simple propaganda shows, where improvements are promised but never materialize. In the case of Najasa, history bears witness to how Castroism destroyed a region that was once prosperous, turning it into a place marked by misery and despair.
Cubans continue to suffer the effects of an inefficient administration that prioritizes political rhetoric over the true needs of the people. Meanwhile, the regime continues to offer recycled promises that fail to address the infrastructure problems or the energy crisis affecting the entire nation.
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