More than a hundred families living in the community of Lagunilla, in the province of Cienfuegos, have been without access to drinking water for seven years.
The situation, which primarily affects children and the elderly, has generated a profound sense of abandonment and frustration among the neighbors, who claim to have exhausted all institutional avenues without receiving a response.
The report was captured in a video published by CubaNet, where several residents share in their own words the daily challenges they face in obtaining the water they need for drinking, cooking, personal hygiene, or taking care of their children.
"What we are here, we are because we have nowhere else to go. Because if we could leave, we would. There is one reason, only one: water. If I don’t have water, how am I going to live?" expressed one of the neighbors in front of the cameras.
The testimonies describe an extreme situation: carrying water from streams, walking over two kilometers, relying on neighbors with private wells, or storing in buckets and jugs the little that is available.
Some families have even been forced to abandon their homes due to the impossibility of maintaining a life without stable access to the vital resource.
René Figueroa Barriga, one of the affected residents, reported that they even reached out to Cuba's First Deputy Prime Minister, Inés María Chapman, and that an official commission visited the site, but the response they received was that they were "illegal."
"We have been paying for water since they started charging for it, even when it was no longer coming. After so much insistence, they promised a water truck, but one has never come here," he reported.
The community directly accuses the authorities of prioritizing supply to other economic interests.
According to the residents, water trucks from the aqueduct regularly enter a nearby pigsty, while they are denied access on the grounds that the road is impassable.
"And how does the pipe get in to give water to the pigs? Because they pay him," Figueroa questioned.
The infrastructure is also in deplorable condition: in less than a kilometer, residents have counted at least seven water leaks that have not been repaired.
"You stand on the road and hear the water flowing as if it were a stream. But it’s not a stream; it’s the aqueduct wasting water while here we don’t have a single drop," another resident reported.
The situation has also affected access to education and food. Maité Miranda Delgado explained that, without transportation, they have to walk long distances to Caunao to get food for the children.
"There is no bread, no teacher, no school, no daycare. Underweight children used to receive rice, oil, spaghetti... now they get nothing. When something does come, it arrives with insects or mold, and is two months late," he said.
In addition to the collapse of services, residents describe a feeling of institutional neglect. "In less than a year, three delegates have come and gone, and all of them resign."
"Nobody goes to the meetings because they feel they are pointless. There’s no one to complain to," Figueroa stated.
Discouragement has grown so much that some residents feel that even the local authorities no longer pay attention.
"The Revolution is not watching us. Only those who attend to us are looking, and they don't even act. They listen to us, but they ignore us," summarized Miranda.
The community of Lagunilla was originally conceived as part of an agricultural plan to repopulate rural areas with families coming from the cities.
Today, without basic services and with dwindling hopes for a solution, many have chosen to leave. "What was once a bet on the countryside is now a stampede," concluded a resident.
The scarcity of potable water affects millions of Cubans, with direct consequences on health, hygiene, and the quality of life for families.
The regime has acknowledged that more than one million people lack a stable service, admitting to issues with infrastructure, lack of maintenance, and inefficient resource management.
In many communities across the country, access to water depends on electricity availability. In provinces like Holguín, residents live with the uncertainty that “if you have electricity, you have water; if not, you don't”.
This erratic distribution model affects hospitals, schools, and homes, forcing thousands of families to organize their daily routines around the arrival of the service.
The regime has implemented extreme distribution measures, such as limiting the supply to once a week in some areas, which has led to tensions among neighbors and silent protests due to the lack of institutional responses.
Many people have to rely on private water trucks or store water under precarious conditions, exposing themselves to health risks.
One of the structural causes of this problem lies in the energy crisis. According to official data, 70% of the water supply issues in Cuba are directly linked to power outages, highlighting the fragility of the national system and its reliance on a failing electrical grid.
In Santiago de Cuba, the situation is particularly severe. More than 390,000 people are facing serious supply issues, with deteriorated water networks and entire neighborhoods that have been neglected by the authorities.
Frequently asked questions about the water crisis in Lagunilla, Cienfuegos
How long have the families in Lagunilla been without access to drinking water?
Families in Lagunilla have been without access to drinking water for seven years. This situation primarily affects children and the elderly, creating a sense of abandonment and frustration within the community.
What actions have the residents of Lagunilla taken to address the water shortage?
Residents have exhausted all institutional avenues without receiving a response, and even contacted the Vice Prime Minister of Cuba. However, the only official reply received was that they were "illegal." Furthermore, families have had to seek water in streams and rely on neighbors with private wells.
Why aren't the water pipes reaching Lagunilla?
Residents report that the water trucks prioritize supplies to nearby economic interests, such as a pig farm, while they receive denials because it is claimed that the road is impassable. However, the neighbors question how these trucks can reach other nearby locations.
What is the situation of the infrastructure in Lagunilla?
The infrastructure is in deplorable condition, with multiple water leaks that have not been repaired. Residents report that within less than a kilometer, there are at least seven leaks. This contributes to the waste of water while the community lacks this resource.
How does the water crisis affect other aspects of life in Lagunilla?
The lack of water has impacted access to education and food. Children must walk long distances to find food, and the food they receive often arrives in poor condition. Furthermore, the feeling of institutional neglect has grown among the neighbors.
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