In the middle of 2026, in a neighborhood bakery in Holguín, bread is baked with firewood because there is not enough electricity or fuel to run the electrical equipment. This scene, far from being exceptional, highlights the direct impact of the energy crisis on the production of a staple food in the regulated food basket.
“In these days of blackout, as a father, I know that the situation is difficult not just for me but for many Cubans who are experiencing these moments of crisis that the country is going through,” says baker José Figueredo in a television report broadcast by official media. “We don't have fuel, we can't use a generator, nor do we have electricity, but we have to push forward as best we can to help the people who need this loaf of bread so much.”
Each loaf of bread that comes out of the oven is, according to the report, the result of "effort, ingenuity, and above all, patience." The alternative has been to reactivate ovens that had been unused for decades.
"We have a generator here with fuel coverage, but due to the economic crisis the country is currently facing, we no longer have that coverage," explains baker Orlando Roche. "We ventured into the use of firewood for the ovens, and the ovens have come back to life—ovens that had been closed for more than thirty years."
From the direction of the Food Production Company in Holguín, Kirenia Balada Peña acknowledges the magnitude of the challenge. "The pressure is immense because it certainly isn't the same type of conditions," she points out. According to her statements, they have managed to "reach fifty percent of the population daily," although she admits that they cannot serve everyone at the same time and that they are working in two to three shifts to sustain production.
The testimonies of the neighbors reflect the daily wear and tear. "It's hard, you breathe in smoke and all that, but you have to keep living," says a resident interviewed. "We have to move forward, especially with the order that Donald Trump just gave that any ship coming to Cuba with fuel has to be stopped."
Another resident appreciates the effort of the workers: “Yes, a tremendous effort,” she comments about the bakers who cook with firewood due to the lack of electricity. “Because it’s the only way to cook when the electricity goes out.”
A third interviewee acknowledges the setback that this situation entails: “we had to take a step back due to the restrictions being imposed on us by the U.S. government regarding fuel.”
What is happening in Holguín is part of a larger scenario. In several provinces, wood-fired ovens have been resumed due to the instability of the electrical system, and in Guantánamo, even flour has been transported by mules to ensure the rationed bread.
While the authorities discuss exceptional measures for 2026 and protection for vulnerable sectors, daily bread production in Holguín currently relies on methods that had been abandoned decades ago. The release of the report, shared on social media, generated numerous critical reactions. In comments on Facebook, several users questioned the call to “resist” and rejected the idea that in the year 2026 the solution for sustaining a basic food item is to return to using firewood.
Filed under: