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Cubavisión announced this Wednesday the premiere of the Brazilian telenovela 'Manía de Ti' with an enthusiastic message on its social media; however, Cubans responded that any excitement fades in the face of uncertainty with the electricity service.
"FINALLY! THE OBSESSION THAT EVERYONE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT ARRIVES TODAY", the media outlet published about the premiere of the soap opera, scheduled for 8:45 PM. The popular response, however, quickly boiled down to a single question: with which trend?
"I don't know what current will be seen if there's never anything at that hour"; "La Guiteras is in stitches over this," were some comments on the post.
The irony is unavoidable. Cuba is experiencing one of its worst energy crises in May 2026, with generation deficits exceeding 1,440 MW last Sunday and blackouts lasting between 18 and 24 hours daily in eastern provinces such as Holguín, Granma, and Santiago de Cuba.
It's not the first time this has happened. In April, when Cubavisión announced the rebroadcast of the Brazilian soap opera 'Cosa más linda', the sarcastic comments from Cubans on social media multiplied. One of them became particularly popular: "I watch a soap opera every day called 'Cosa más oscura'."
'Manía de Ti' is the Spanish version of Mania de Você, produced by TV Globo and written by João Emanuel Carneiro, an author known in Cuba for hits like 'Avenida Brasil' and 'Todas las Flores'. The plot follows two women born on the same day in opposing social contexts —Viola, a humble young woman with a talent for cooking, and Luma, a wealthy and whimsical chef— in the resort town of Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, featuring a love quadrangle that blends drama, romance, thriller, and humor.
The cast includes Gabz, Agatha Moreira, Chay Suede, Nicolas Prattes, Adriana Esteves, Mariana Ximenes, and Rodrigo Lombardi. The novel aired in Brazil from September 9, 2024, to March 28, 2025, and is arriving in Cuba several months late, which is common for productions acquired by the state channel.
Ironically, Mania de Você was considered the biggest audience failure in the nine o'clock time slot on Globo in Brazil.
However, it was nominated for the 2025 International Emmy as Best Telenovela, and Nicolas Prattes won the 2025 Produ award for Best Leading Actor in a Romantic Novel.
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