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The journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso stated on Facebook: “Light begins to shine in the city of Santiago de Cuba,” alongside nighttime images showing illuminated areas. The post was made after more than a week of a widespread blackout in the eastern province.
The message generated a wide reaction on social media. The independent reporter Yosmany Mayeta Labrada reposted Alonso's publication along with the message: “These agents of Cuban manipulative propaganda say that light is beginning to be seen in Santiago de Cuba. How many people in Santiago currently have electricity service?”
In the comments on his post, dozens of people claimed that the city remains mostly in the dark. Some pointed out that the photos are "archival" or "taken before Cyclone Melissa," while others stated that "only one main road and a few prioritized areas, such as circuits 2 and 7, have power."
Messages were repeated denouncing the abandonment: “In Abel Santamaría, nothing at all,” “In Versalles, we’ve been without service for nine days,” “Santiago remains in the dark, not even the light at the end of the tunnel can be seen,” “This is a cemetery of living men.” A small group of users claimed to have partially restored service in some areas.
In a recent statement, the Electric Company of Santiago de Cuba reported that in the province "there are four circuits with service in a sectioned manner (a part of the circuit, not the entire circuit): 7, 10, 17, and 18," and that work was carried out that day on another fourteen. The entity also shared images of crews from Cienfuegos supporting the recovery efforts in circuits 17 and 18, near the University of Oriente and the Port of Boniato.
Before the passage of Hurricane Melissa, the Electric Union (UNE) had announced the preventive disconnection of the Antonio Maceo (Renté), Felton, and Moa Fuel Central thermoelectric plants, which left the eastern region without power generation. At that time, the company acknowledged severe structural damage to the transmission lines and warned that restoration could take at least 15 days, depending on the availability of technical resources and fuel.
The lack of electricity has also affected other basic services. This Monday, ETECSA reported that only 3% of telecommunications in Santiago de Cuba were restored, due to the falling of fiber optic cables, poles, and communication towers, which keeps the province almost isolated.
In neighborhoods like Altamira, residents have reported that they are still "without food, without water, without electricity" and that "absolutely no one has come to collect the trash or inquire about anything," according to testimonies shared by Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, who displayed images of streets filled with debris and families cooking with firewood due to the lack of basic resources. The complaints from this neighborhood reflect the precariousness in which hundreds of families live following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
While the authorities report on repair work and interprovincial support brigades, citizen complaints indicate that large areas of Santiago de Cuba continue to be without electricity, amidst blackouts, communication breakdowns, and essential shortages.
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