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The executives of Aguas de La Habana appeared this Monday at a press conference to explain the “complex situation” of water supply in the capital. However, what followed in the comments on the official media Cubadebate was an avalanche of criticisms that turned the publication into a stark reflection of citizen discontent.
According to the data presented by the general director of the entity, Yosvany Rubi Bazail, and the director of the Aqueduct, Abel Fernández Díaz, around 200,000 residents of Havana —11% of the population— are experiencing some form of disruption, whether due to complete shortages, extended cycles, or repeated failures in the service.
The figure, far from reassuring, prompted immediate disbelief. “Unbelievable how they downplay the situation, it represents ONLY 11%. Calling it a complex situation when there is no water for weeks, the appropriate term is catastrophic,” wrote one user. Another was more straightforward: “Only 11%? That's not true.”
Officials themselves acknowledged that the impacts affect nearly all municipalities, with partial exceptions for Plaza, Marianao, and Centro Habana, although even in these areas, sporadic interruptions are reported. Among the causes, they cited the deterioration of pumping equipment (40%), power outages (39%), and ruptures in conduits (10%), in a system that is highly dependent on electrical supply.
But beyond the numbers, it was the citizen testimonies that ultimately illustrated the true magnitude of the problem.
"35 days without water and the Party, the government, Aguas de la Habana know about it, yet no one does anything. It's every man for himself," denounced a resident of Víbora Park. From Luyanó, another resident reported more than eight days without service, while in Vedado, several comments agreed that they had been without regular water for weeks or even months.
The feeling of exhaustion is echoed in dozens of messages: “You can’t live like this,” wrote one user. Another summed up the general sentiment with a phrase that is increasingly repeated on social media: “When it’s not the electricity, it’s the water.”
There were also criticisms of the management and the lack of concrete responses. “Everything is a justification without solutions,” lamented one commentator, while another questioned, “What works here?” In the same vein, a user denounced the normalization of the crisis: “... and here they dare to say it is not significant. Trying to normalize all the misfortune experienced in Cuba.”
The issues described are not limited to the lack of supply. Numerous comments pointed to massive losses due to leaks that have gone unrepaired for years. “In Vista Alegre, there are leaks that have been present for almost 19 years,” a resident of Havana reported, reflecting a structural deterioration that exacerbates the scarcity.
Frustration is also directed towards the lack of coordination and transparency. "They don't take responsibility or provide the necessary explanations," criticized another user, while several others complained about the absence of clear information regarding distribution cycles and interruptions.
At the same time, some comments contrasted with the official narrative and political priorities. “We saw the country’s high leadership at the forum for an entire week, sitting happily, and the people… Do problems get solved with a forum?” questioned a reader, in reference to recent government events.
The accumulation of shortages—water, electricity, gas, and food—reinforces a perception of widespread crisis. "Everything is scarce in Cuba; it's impossible to live like this," summarized one comment, while another pointed out bluntly: "Cuba as a whole has problems with everything."
The country's hydraulic system suffers from decades of deterioration, with aging infrastructure and thousands of active leaks, in a context where the electric supply—crucial for pumping—remains unstable. In this scenario, solutions continue to be linked to variables that are beyond the immediate control of the authorities.
Between official figures and technical explanations, the comments made one thing clear: the profound social weariness. As one user summarized, without nuance: "Until when?"
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