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The Cuban writer Leonardo Padura, awarded the 2015 Princess of Asturias Award for Literature, confessed that he had to install a battery-powered solar panel system in his home at a cost that is not affordable for most Cubans who depend on average salaries and pensions.
In an interview with Jorge Morla for the newspaper El País, Padura stated that to cope with the prolonged blackouts affecting Havana, he invested 4,000 dollars.
In the phone conversation for that outlet, the writer acknowledged that the installation of this system is a luxury that few in Cuba can afford, given the deep economic crisis the country is experiencing.
“Not everyone can afford this”, stated the author, aware that most of his neighbors continue to endure power outages lasting up to 20 hours a day.
The writer, known for his saga of detective Mario Conde, stated in the interview with Morla that the everyday reality of Cubans is to integrate misery into daily life and remain silent.
"One day like this, and another, and another... We have no choice but to incorporate all this misery into life, and in many cases, to remain silent," he said.
He also recalled that many Cubans, after decades of sacrifice and "commitment to the revolution," now feel poorer than ever, relying on remittances from abroad to survive.
Padura emphasized that several cultural phenomena on the island, particularly the "reparto," are a reflection of the social, economic, and cultural degradation that the island has experienced since the so-called Special Period of the 1990s, the consequences of which, he stated, still affect the lives of millions of Cubans.
Amid the promotion of his new novel Morir en la arena, the writer expressed that although his work is fiction, it also aims to be a portrait of the current Cuban reality: a country weary from precariousness, censorship, and a lack of hope for imminent change.
In reference to the context of repression, which emerged at several points during his interview, albeit with some hesitance, he mentioned the sentences handed down to the protesters from July 11, 2021: "They were exemplary sentences; ten years in prison for breaking a window. People suffer and remain silent, because the alternative..."
His expectations for the future, he told the journalist, are pessimistic: "The present is so bleak that there necessarily has to be something that happens, a big change, I don't know if for better or for worse," he concluded.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Energy Crisis in Cuba and the Statements by Leonardo Padura
How much did Leonardo Padura invest in a solar energy system to cope with power outages in Cuba?
Leonardo Padura invested 4,000 dollars in a solar panel system with a battery to tackle the prolonged blackouts in Havana. This expense is a luxury that few Cubans can afford due to the economic crisis on the island.
How do prolonged blackouts affect the daily lives of Cubans?
Prolonged blackouts severely impact the daily lives of Cubans by interrupting routines, causing emotional strain, and compromising food refrigeration. In some areas, power outages can last up to 20 hours a day, forcing people to seek alternative solutions such as cooking with firewood.
What does Leonardo Padura think about the current situation in Cuba?
Leonardo Padura has a pessimistic view of the current situation in Cuba, describing it as a tremendous crisis in every sense. He emphasizes the deterioration of material conditions, the ongoing power outages, and the massive exodus as factors that exacerbate the precariousness on the island.
How does repression manifest in Cuba according to Padura's statements?
Leonardo Padura refers to the repression in Cuba by mentioning the exemplary sentences given to the protesters of July 11, 2021. According to the writer, people suffer and remain silent, as the regime's reprisals can be severe, including sentences of up to ten years in prison for breaking a window.
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