Cuba awoke this Tuesday, May 27, once again plunged into a severe energy crisis, following a full day of uninterrupted blackouts that continued throughout the night.
According to the official report from Unión Eléctrica (UNE), the situation of the National Electric System (SEN) remains critical, with a sustained generation capacity deficit severely affecting the daily lives of millions of Cubans.
The highest impact recorded in the previous day was 1,497 megawatts (MW) -below the 1,565 forecasted- at 10:40 PM, coinciding with the peak electricity demand.
This Tuesday, at 7:00 a.m., the availability of the SEN was only 1,970 MW, while the demand reached 2,980 MW, resulting in a shortfall of 1,045 MW due to capacity deficiency. For noon, a deterioration is expected, with a projected shortfall of 1,150 MW.
The situation is worsening due to the numerous power plants that are out of service. Unit 2 of the Felton thermoelectric plant is malfunctioning, while four other units are undergoing maintenance in Santa Cruz, Cienfuegos, and Renté.
This is compounded by thermal limitations of 387 MW and the shutdown of 74 distributed generation plants due to a lack of fuel, resulting in an additional loss of 512 MW.
Although the operation of unit 3 of Santa Cruz is expected to begin with 70 MW, the UNE predicts a deficit of 1,440 MW for the nighttime peak, with an estimated impact of 1,510 MW during that time.
May: The darkest month of the year
On May 1st, the Cuban regime offered a "miraculous" electricity truce to project an image of stability during the celebrations for International Workers' Day.
That artificial respite lasted little. Barely the next day, the blackouts returned with a vengeance, lasting for hours and affecting vast areas of the country.
The situation quickly deteriorated. By mid-month, more than 38% of the national territory was experiencing simultaneous blackouts.
In cities like Holguín, Camagüey, Santiago de Cuba, and Havana, power outages lasted for up to 20 hours, forcing the population to reorganize their daily lives around the limited electricity available.
The outbreak of discontent
Desperation soon erupted. On May 21, protests were reported in several towns in eastern and western Cuba, especially in Pinar del Río, Bayamo, and Santiago de Cuba.
Neighbors took to the streets shouting "Food and electricity!" while banging on empty pots to make their frustration heard. The images circulated widely on social media, despite the government's attempts to limit internet access.
Throughout the month, the protests and spontaneous demonstrations continued. Phrases like "We want no more muela!" and "Enough with the promises!" became the collective echo of a population that feels the regime has no real answers to its daily crisis.
Empty promises and ineffective measures
Pressured by the growing discontent, the government announced that it was working to limit blackouts to four hours a day during the summer.
He even promised a “definitive solution” to the energy problem within three years. However, skepticism reigns among Cubans, many of whom recall that these kinds of promises are repeated year after year without concrete results.
The state response also included extraordinary measures such as military exercises (Meteoro 2025) and a reinforcement of the official discourse in the media, but without any noticeable relief in the actual conditions.
In parallel, the technicians at UNE are issuing daily reports that outline an increasingly unsustainable technical scenario, with outdated thermal units, a fuel deficit, and a distributed generation system that is virtually at a standstill.
“Nobody believes them”: The discrediting of official reports
As blackouts intensify and social unrest grows, so does the distrust of Cubans towards the daily reports issued by the UNE.
The figures on available megawatts, projected demands, and forecasts of impact, rather than reassuring, generate skepticism. In the streets, on social media, and in private conversations, many citizens agree that the numbers "don't add up" with the reality they are experiencing.
During the month of May, independent media gathered multiple expressions of public disbelief.
Several users reported that the outages reported by the UNE do not match the duration or severity of the actual blackouts. In some areas, there were reports of up to 20 hours without electricity, while official statements mentioned average disruptions of 6 to 8 hours.
The phenomenon is not new, but it has reached new levels of rejection. The official narrative that constantly blames external factors —such as the U.S. embargo or alleged sabotage— is becoming less and less effective.
On the other hand, there is an increasing consensus that the energy crisis is a result of poor internal management, a lack of investment over the decades, and the system's inability to sustain itself under current technical and economic conditions.
Discredit is not limited to the UNE. Distrust extends to the entire institutional apparatus, including the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the government itself, which continues to promise solutions as the situation worsens. For many Cubans, the daily reports no longer inform, but rather cover up; they do not explain, but manipulate.
A country on the edge
May 2025 has left a deep mark on the already worn-out Cuban people. The electrical collapse is not just a technical issue: it is a daily tragedy experienced in homes, hospitals, and schools.
The unbearable heat, the spoiled food, the inability to work or rest, all of this transforms the blackout into a brutal metaphor for national stagnation.
And while the UNE calculates megawatts and the regime calls for patience, on the streets, the limit of resistance seems increasingly near.
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