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The Cuban regime is starting to implement in provinces, with names and surnames, the official return to the "Special Period" that Miguel Díaz-Canel had already announced in Havana. Now it is Cienfuegos' turn.
Through a post on Facebook, the Provincial Government announced a series of restrictions "in light of the complex energy situation facing the country", a phrase that has already become synonymous with endless blackouts, production paralysis, and widespread cuts.
Governor Yolexis Rodríguez Armada gathered key agencies and made it clear that the country is entering survival mode, with daily life being reorganized around the bare essentials. "Everything is being reduced," though she did not say it in those exact words.
The announcement comes just days after Díaz-Canel's televised speech, where he acknowledged that Cuba is reliving the toughest years of the Special Period, admitted that Venezuelan oil has not arrived since December 2025, and indicated that "restrictive" measures inspired by the old "option zero" designed by Fidel Castro would be coming.
In Cienfuegos, that "zero option" already has a face.
Among the most sensitive measures for the population, the Government confirmed that surgeries will be postponed, and only emergencies will be addressed, although vital services such as hemodialysis, oncology, and the Maternal and Child Program will continue to operate.
In transportation, intermunicipal and rural departures are suspended, and the crossing of the bay by ferries is also halted. Only "ten boarding points" will remain operational within the territory, with limited hours from six in the morning to six in the evening.
In addition, state vehicles will be required to stop at these points to pick up passengers, a measure that many Cubans interpret as a return of state impositions on citizen mobility.
Meanwhile, state-owned warehouses and shops will adjust their hours to operate from seven in the morning to two in the afternoon, and banks will be open for only four hours a day, “as long as there is availability of electricity.”
In the case of regulated bread, it was reported that in many areas, wood-fired ovens will be activated and the product will be delivered on alternate days. Education is also adapting: secondary schools and other levels will implement variants already used during the pandemic, with double sessions “where conditions allow.”
But the phrase that captures the spirit of the set of measures is another: “zero consumption during the weekend” for organizations that can readjust services from Monday to Thursday.
The people erupt: “The sacrifice is for us, not for them.”
Although the Government called for "empathy" and "keeping the population permanently informed," comments on social media reflect a growing indignation.
A resident of Cienfuegos summarized the popular sentiment with bitter irony: “The people have to save energy they don’t have, they’re always in blackout. The investment in Hotel Jagua continues, but the people have to make sacrifices, is that fair?”
Other citizens questioned the lack of real alternatives for cooking, given the gas crisis and the high price of charcoal. “Cheaper charcoal should be offered,” demanded one user, while others reported that a bag can cost up to 3,000 pesos.
The population also demanded that the use of fuel by officials and leaders be regulated, and that privileges not be maintained for those who have generator power and guaranteed transportation.
One of the most alarming comments recounted an incident that took place at the provincial hospital, where an orderly allegedly charged 500 pesos to lend a wheelchair to a woman with partial paralysis.
"This is not science fiction. This happened today in Cienfuegos," the user wrote, calling for greater control over these abuses, just as the Government insists on "resistance" and "discipline."
The official statement concludes that the measures aim to "transmit confidence" and "provide solutions to the concerns of the people," but the public response reveals a different story: fatigue, frustration, and a general feeling that the country is backsliding every day.
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