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A post shared on Facebook from Holguín has shaken hundreds of Cubans both on the island and abroad due to what seems to be an unusual message. However, it reflects an increasingly common reality in the island: the extreme shortage of water in homes.
"I buy a little bit of water. To bathe my grandmother and my child," wrote the user Migdalia Elosegui Parra in the group Revolico Motelera Antilla, in a message that quickly went viral and sparked a wave of reactions filled with pain, outrage, and solidarity.
The phrase, brief and direct, portrays an unthinkable scene for any modern society, with a mother forced to pay for a few liters of water just to be able to bathe a child and an elderly woman.
The impact was immediate. “Wow, how are we living,” commented a user. Others simply wrote: “This hurts,” “Oh God, what pain,” “What sadness,” “Until when and how long.”
But what followed also left a powerful image, reflecting dozens of people offering to help her without asking for anything in return. "Come to my house to look for some," wrote one internet user. "I can give you a little water," said another user, acknowledging that they too were suffering from shortages, but could still share. "My brother has plenty of water, he will give it to you," assured a Cuban.
Some even offered what little they had: “If you can, send someone to get a 20-liter gallon… I’m really sorry,” commented one person. Others asked for the address to bring water for free. “Water is not sold; it is given to those who need it,” wrote an Internet user.
The gesture of solidarity eventually received a response. Shortly after, Migdalia herself publicly thanked: “I want to thank José for the help with the water, and each wonderful person who offered what they had. A thousand thanks to all.”
However, behind the momentary relief lies an uncomfortable question: how is it possible that in Cuba there are people having to "buy a little water" to take a shower?
The post also sparked a political debate in the comments. While some blamed the system and spoke openly of “dictatorship,” others tried to justify it with the narrative of the “blockade.” There were those who even questioned the truthfulness of the message, unable to believe that the situation had reached such a level.
“Gentlemen, I don't believe the publication is true... This cannot be happening in Cuba... What more does the Cuban people have to endure?” wrote a Cuban.
Among those who reacted was the Cuban lawyer Manuel Viera, known on social media as "Manuel Viera Porelcambio," who shared the screenshots and left a strong comment: "I have been in those shoes many times, and I know what it feels like to be deprived of a vital basic service like water, which is also a right for everyone," he wrote.
But the story doesn't end there.
According to another screenshot shared, Migdalia had already been reporting the situation days earlier. On February 11, she wrote an even more desperate message: “I buy oil to bring water to 4 vulnerable families. Please help with extreme urgency.”
In other words: it's not just the water that is purchased. Fuel is also bought to go fetch it.
In Cuba, scarcity has turned the essential into a luxury. Having water at home, bathing, washing, cooking, or caring for an elderly sick person has become a daily struggle, often silent, that does not appear in official speeches.
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