Related videos:
The Cuban academic and activist Alina Bárbara López reported that a building with 40 apartments in the El Naranjal neighborhood in Matanzas has been without electricity or water for 17 days, a situation that is affecting the elderly, children, and vulnerable individuals, while —according to her— the authorities have not provided any solutions or appeared on-site.
The grave situation came to light after López shared on social media the complaint initially made by resident Lilian Borroto López, who alerted about the ordeal faced by residents of 338th Street between 117 and 119, where a faulty transformer left dozens of people without basic services.
The academic explained that, amid the epidemic, shortages, prolonged blackouts, and the climate of political injustice in the country, she avoids focusing on everyday problems, but this time she decided to do so because “it’s already too much.”
Tomorrow —he pointed out— marks 17 days without electricity, without water, without the ability to cook, with accumulated laundry and housing conditions lacking basic hygiene.
“We are relying on the solidarity of good neighbors. We are nomads with electric pots, rechargeable fans, and phones that we have to charge across the street,” said López, who emphasized that the building is home to elderly people, children, and those recovering from the virus.
"No one has come": reports of institutional abandonment
The post by Lilian Borroto López, also shared by the academic, detailed that the neighbors were aware that the repair of the transformer might take time due to a lack of parts in the country, yet they still hoped for a response and at least a minimal institutional presence.
However —he asserts— neither the delegate, nor local government officials, nor representatives from the electricity sector have come to the site despite promising an "urgent response."
"These are the holy hours, after 16 days, and here no one has come," denounced Borroto. The residents had requested water trucks, some type of fuel for cooking, and a review of the conditions in which elderly individuals living alone are surviving.
Neighborhood commission without responses
Residents of the building went to the municipal government on Friday seeking solutions. According to López, they were received kindly, but without a concrete response. Tomorrow, a new delegation—this time accompanied by her—will return to the government offices with the determination not to leave without having an official accompany them to the building and assess the emergency.
"We will not return without a solution. Our patience has been immense," asserted the academic.
A crisis that reveals a bigger problem
The complaint reflects not only the collapse of public services in Cuba but also the deterioration of the institutional response to basic problems that directly affect health and daily life. Access to electricity and drinking water is not a luxury, but a fundamental right, especially in a building where vulnerable individuals reside.
Meanwhile, the residents of El Naranjal continue to wait, relying on solidarity among themselves and demanding the bare minimum: that the State fulfills its responsibilities.
Filed under: