Amid endless blackouts, a country paralyzed by fuel shortages, and a population exhausted by the electrical crisis, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel once again put forward a "plan" to tackle the national energy collapse, proposing the generation of electricity from waste.
During a press conference held with journalists from official media and accredited Cuban correspondents from allied countries such as RT and Xinhua, without the presence of major independent international agencies, Díaz-Canel defended the idea that Cuba can make progress toward energy sovereignty using its own resources, including "residual" materials converted into biogas.
"Biogas, transforming waste into energy," said the leader, explaining that with biogas plants it would be possible to cook, light homes, and even generate electricity through motors connected to electric generators. In his presentation, he assured that with this technology, "gas generators" could be created capable of producing power.
The proposal was presented as part of a broader strategy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, in a context where the regime directly blames the government of Donald Trump for the worsening energy crisis, following recent measures that reinforce an "energy blockade" and hinder the arrival of oil to Cuba.
A sustained electricity crisis due to a lack of fuel
Díaz-Canel acknowledged that Cuba is facing a critical situation due to a lack of fuel, admitting that the country has been unable to utilize its distributed generation capacity for weeks. He explained that there are more than 1,300 megawatts installed in that system, but they currently cannot be used due to the absence of diesel and fuel.
The leader noted that in recent weeks, the electricity deficit during peak hours has ranged from 1,600 to 2,000 megawatts, resulting in widespread and prolonged blackouts across the country.
According to his speech, the problem is not just technical but structural: the system relies on fuel imports that are now more difficult due to international pressures, sanctions, and the fear of shipping companies and suppliers to operate with Cuba.
In his effort to showcase progress, Díaz-Canel stated that by 2024 the country had installed over 1,000 megawatts in photovoltaic parks, with 49 parks built, which would have allowed an increase in the penetration of renewable energies from 3% to 10%.
According to their account, this solar capacity is helping to sustain the system during the day, reducing the risk of frequent collapses and widespread blackouts, although they acknowledged that nights are still characterized by a severe deficit.
He also justified that in 2025, electric supply to economic sectors during the day—such as industries and agriculture—has been prioritized at the expense of greater residential impacts, especially in Havana.
"We can generate biogas": a promise in a country full of waste
However, the most striking aspect of his intervention was the insistence that Cuba could generate energy from biomass and waste.
The leader explained that biogas would enable everything from cooking to generating electricity through engines. His speech aimed to turn the crisis into a supposed "opportunity" for sustainable development and greater energy independence.
The proposal comes at a particularly sensitive time: the streets of Cuba are filled with accumulated garbage, communal services are collapsing in numerous municipalities, and makeshift landfills are growing at the same rate as public despair.
In this context, the announcement of biogas has been interpreted by many Cubans as a new official narrative disconnected from the immediate reality: while the regime discusses converting waste into electricity, the population is facing a health and environmental crisis linked precisely to uncollected garbage.
A political speech, without immediate answers
Although Díaz-Canel devoted a significant portion of the conference to blaming the United States for the deterioration of the electrical system, he also acknowledged that the solutions will not be quick.
"It cannot be resolved all at once," he acknowledged while explaining that the plan includes continuity in thermoelectric plants, photovoltaic expansion with storage systems, installation of domestic solar modules, and the recovery of wind farms.
Among the mentioned figures, he stated that 5,000 solar systems will be installed in isolated homes and another 5,000 in vital centers, including maternity homes, polyclinics, senior citizens' homes, and bank branches.
However, on an island where millions of people experience power outage after power outage, where food spoils, hospitals face energy instability, and public transport is practically paralyzed, the promises sound like a repeated script: announcements of future plans while the present sinks deeper.
The underlying message: to resist, not to resolve
Beyond the energy component, Díaz-Canel's intervention had a distinct political tone. On several occasions, he emphasized “creative resistance” as a response to the crisis and framed the current moment as a stage of confrontation that requires sacrifice.
The leader affirmed that the country is preparing for extreme scenarios and defended the narrative of "economic war," while calling on the population to accept new restrictions.
For many Cubans, the speech leaves an unanswered question: how much longer can we resist?
In a country where electricity has become a luxury and garbage piles up as a symbol of national decay, the promise of "light from waste" does not seem like an immediate solution, but rather another indication of how far the regime is willing to sell hope with whatever is at hand, even with what is leftover.
Filed under: