Cuban residents in Mexico described brutally the crisis they left behind on the Island, in a video published by the NMás channel that captures their testimonies about blackouts, extreme shortages, lack of connectivity, and the cry for freedom that the regime in Havana forbids.
Kirenia, Disney, and Yasniel arrived in Mexico two years ago or less and are closely following the political situation in their country, at a time when the Cuban crisis has dramatically worsened following the loss of Venezuelan oil supplies, which have been cut off since the United States intervened in Venezuela and captured Nicolás Maduro in January 2026.
The interviewees detail that power outages last up to 36 continuous hours, a reality they experienced firsthand before leaving the island and which their families continue to suffer. The lack of electricity paralyzes daily life, prevents food preservation, and worsens the already critical health situation.
"One carton of eggs costs 3,500 pesos, and your salary can be 4,000 pesos or 5,000 pesos, so what do you have left?" Kirenia recounted, illustrating the insurmountable gap between income and prices.
In Yasniel's opinion, while an intervention in the Island by the United States may not guarantee the civil rights that some believe, it is imperative that "something happens" to change the status quo. Disney emphasized that the Cuban government must be abolished from the ground up; "if they don't remove them all, there will be no solution," he stated. Kirenia demanded that "Cubans need to be allowed to work and be free."
The Island's economy may contract by 7.2% in 2026, according to recent projections, which indicates an even greater deterioration of the population's purchasing power. The collapse is not only perceived from the outside. According to recent surveys, 80% of Cubans consider this crisis worse than the so-called Special Period of the 1990s, which was the hardest time in the island's recent history.
At the energy level, the situation has reached a critical point with several total disconnections of the National Electric System in a very short time. The deterioration of the National Electric System is so severe that, according to experts, rebuilding it would require billions of dollars and several years' time.
The Mexican government, led by Claudia Sheinbaum, has maintained a supportive stance towards the regime in Havana, not only diplomatically but also through various , primarily food. This position has unsettled many Cuban exiles in Mexican territory, who feel that the host government embraces the dictatorship that expelled them.
Thousands of Cubans like Kirenia, Disney, and Yasniel live in exile, suffering from afar with their families and hoping that the endless crisis on the Island will finally find a solution.
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