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The Presidency of Cuba posted on social media about a meeting led by Miguel Díaz-Canel with scientists and experts to discuss the "results" of the collaboration between universities and the Ministry of Energy and Mines, and the public's reaction was swift: a flood of criticism and disbelief filled the comments.
The meeting brought together members of the National Group of Universities for Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Efficiency, an organization established in 2019 to coordinate biogas, forest biomass, and other alternative energy projects with the relevant ministry.
One of the most frequently repeated comments was, precisely, the disbelief regarding that term. "What results?" questioned several users, while others insisted: "Can you tell me what the results are?" or simply "Results??".
A large part of the reactions focused on denouncing the abundance of meetings in the face of a lack of real solutions. "It's meeting after meeting and every day the situation gets worse," wrote an internet user.
Another commenter said: "Meeting after meeting without resolving the situation that the people are experiencing," while there were also sharper messages such as "Meetings and more meetings and ZERO RESULTS".
There were also criticisms of the disconnection between these meetings and daily life: "Lots of meetings, much debate, but where are the results?"
Other comments focused on energy alternatives that, according to users, have been ignored for years. "Why don't we explore ocean current energy?" one person suggested, referring to the potential of an island surrounded by the sea.
In the same vein, there were questions about why sources like tidal or wave energy are not being discussed, and some recalled that there are already academic proposals that have yet to be implemented: "Now it is necessary for them to introduce innovations and address the problems we have been facing for a while."
The discomfort was also reflected in direct testimonies about the blackouts. "Please restore the power," one user demanded, while others reported more critical situations: " We have been without power for 14 hours out of 24".
That contrast between the official discourse on "results" and the daily experience of Cubans eventually dominated the conversation, marked by frustration and a rejection of what many see as yet more promises with no real impact.
The reality backing this frustration is stark: this Wednesday, the National Electric System estimated a availability of just over 1,200 MW against a maximum demand of 3,000 MW. The country has experienced several total system collapses since October 2024, including one on March 16 that lasted nearly 30 hours.
The biogas and forest biomass projects presented at the meeting have been announced for over two decades without concrete results, and independent sources estimate that 8 billion dollars would be needed to meet 93.4% of the electrical demand with renewables, a figure that is unattainable given the current economic crisis.
Díaz-Canel himself acknowledged in February that the government decided to "focus more energy on the economy, even if it affects the population", an admission that summarizes the regime's energy policy in the face of millions of Cubans who suffer from blackouts of up to 22 hours a day.
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