Related videos:
The Electric Company of Havana (EELH) announced this Thursday on its official Facebook page that a couple of lizards triggered the blowing of a fuse on 150th Street between 19 and 21, in the Playa municipality, leaving that area without electrical service.
The entity described the situation with an unusually ironic tone for a Cuban state company: "Hurricane winds, storms and lightning strikes, cyclones, among other natural events, can adversely affect power lines, and it's incredible how a couple of defenseless lizards can do the same."
According to the publication, the "guard couple of UEB Playa" was responsible for replacing the blown fuse caused by the animals, and the company concluded the message with the phrase: "Nature has the power to always do its own thing."
The reaction of Cuban internet users was immediate, with a blend of disbelief and dark humor dominating the comments.
Ángel Luis Jaen Sol asked directly: "Is this a meme?".
Daniel Oliva Sánchez wrote: "Tell me this post isn't real."
On her part, Karla Casares Ortega was more emphatic: "I can't handle so much, you all are a meme among yourselves and Cubadebate, I make the day."
Other users took advantage of the post to report their own power outages. Natty Flute noted: "At 130 and 27, Zamora, Marianao, we've been without power since 8 AM."
The incident is not the first of its kind in Cuba. On February 18, 2026, a frog caused a blackout at Substation 2 of 110 kV in Sancti Spíritus by coming into contact with the transformer insulator and generating an electrical arc that disconnected several circuits.
The municipality Playa, where the incident with the alligators occurred, was the most affected in Havana during the period of April 10, 2026, with 192 reported power outages.
This Thursday, the Electric Union reported a availability of 1,973 MW against a demand of 3,100 MW during peak hours, resulting in a deficit of 1,127 MW.
Havana experiences four consecutive days without blackouts due to a generation deficit, a relief attributed to political prioritization, while provinces like Holguín, Granma, and Santiago de Cuba continue to face cuts of up to 24 hours daily.
Cuba needs eight fuel ships per month to sustain its electricity generation, but it has only received one from December 2025 until this month, a situation that Díaz-Canel publicly acknowledged by recognizing four months without fuel.
Filed under: