A Cuban pediatrician, identified as Niurka Elena Castellanos Ramos, publicly denounced the deep physical and emotional exhaustion she is experiencing amidst the structural crisis that the country is facing. Based in Camagüey, one of the provinces most affected by power outages—which exceed 20 hours daily—she shared her testimony in a comment on Facebook in response to a post by the comedian Ulises Toirac.
"What helplessness, what sadness, my molars ache from clenching unconsciously amid so much stress, and I, who work in front of children, feel so exhausted. I can't sleep thinking about the lack of running water; everything is going to waste. My family aches, my neighbors, my patients, and with every passing second, everything gets worse," Castellanos wrote, before concluding: "At 54 years old, I've never seen anything so depressing."
Their comment was made in the context of a post where Toirac ironically wondered if artificial intelligence could simulate the country making progress.
In that same space, the doctor wrote again, expanding her testimony: “I try to give my patients the best of myself, but sometimes I can't. I connect with what’s happening at home, the basic needs that must be addressed no matter what. I’m not a businesswoman; I have to live on my salary because I don’t know how to generate money. I studied to provide health care, and every day feels like a race.”
Castellanos also questioned the official narrative in the state media, pointing out that "there is a disinformation directed at the people that is very distressing, and how beautifully they speak on TV," concluding that everything one experiences turns into "a disappointment with depression that extinguishes the hope of living."
His words resonated among dozens of Cubans who commented on the post with the same tone of despair. From various provinces, users shared similar realities: a lack of water, electricity, basic resources, and growing emotional fatigue. "Here in the provinces, the blackouts last for 20 hours or more. The saddest part is that everything is slowly withering away, little by little and inexorably. Although it seems to me that everything here ended a long time ago, all that's left is to survive," one of them remarked.
Another described how fatigue becomes an obstacle for daily life: “My question is: who can perform the next day at work?”. A user summarized the widespread helplessness by stating: “We are living through the worst of this country’s history; it is very sad and unbearable. It can’t be endured any longer.”
In another statement, the doctor was even more emphatic as she described the electrical routine in her environment: "We have been without power for 4 years, and now we are at the breaking point: 3 hours a day, this is a slow death."
The post, originally intended as a humorous comment, turned into a wall of citizen grievances. "Reporting from Matanzas, 20 hours without power and it still hasn't returned, we are continuity," another person quipped.
This collective sentiment has a real and growing foundation. According to recent reports, Cuba experienced one of the three worst electricity days of the year this week, with a generation deficit exceeding 2,000 megawatts, according to data from the Electric Union (UNE). Only on Tuesday, the maximum recorded impact was 2,010 MW at 9:10 PM, resulting in prolonged blackouts across the country, including the capital.
At the same time, the government admitted the collapse of emergency power plants in hospitals in Santiago de Cuba, due to their prolonged use, affecting essential services such as intensive care, medication refrigeration, and water pumping. A spokesperson for the electrical system acknowledged that the generators installed in medical centers “are not meant to operate for extended hours, and they are failing.”
The official figures show that the country only had 1,680 MW to meet a demand of over 3,000 MW this week, which caused massive blackouts across all provinces. Five thermal units remain out of order, three are under maintenance, and dozens of distributed generators are out of service due to a lack of fuel.
While the national electrical system collapses, the population silently bears the consequences, amidst darkness, heat, and despair. As the words of Dr. Castellanos aptly reflect, “nothing rational or easy; it is a disappointment with depression that extinguishes the hope of living.”
Frequently Asked Questions about the Energy Crisis in Cuba
What is the current situation regarding blackouts in Cuba?
The energy crisis in Cuba has significantly worsened, with power outages exceeding 20 hours a day in several provinces. This situation has led to profound physical and emotional exhaustion among the population, which faces a structural collapse of the national electrical system.
How does the energy crisis affect essential services in Cuba?
The crisis severely affects essential services, such as hospitals, where emergency power generators have failed due to prolonged use. This jeopardizes intensive care, medication refrigeration, and water pumping, increasing the vulnerability of the population.
What measures has the Cuban government taken to address the electric crisis?
The Cuban government has promised to restore part of the electricity generation capacity in the coming years. However, so far there have been no concrete structural solutions, and official justifications focus on the lack of fuel, pending maintenance, and "unforeseen breakdowns."
How has the Cuban population reacted to the energy crisis?
The Cuban population has expressed its discontent through social media and testimonies, reflecting a state of exhaustion and despair. Cubans face a daily survival routine, with shortages of water, food, and medicine, and a growing sense of helplessness in the face of the lack of solutions.
Why has the energy situation in Cuba deteriorated so much?
The deterioration of the Cuban energy system is due to multiple factors, including technical failures in thermoelectric plants, lack of fuel, scarcity of investment, and prolonged maintenance. The electrical infrastructure is outdated, which has led to a collapse in the generation and distribution of electricity.
Filed under: