A Cuban recorded a short video at the José Martí International Airport in Havana that went viral on Facebook, showing the terminal completely empty and without electricity, with the author exclaiming: "Empty. No one is leaving from here."
The clip, published by the user Izaguirre Ortiz, exceeded 291,000 views, garnered over 2,100 likes, and received 271 comments in a short period of time.
In the comments on his own video, the author elaborated on his experience: "What shocked me the most was that the power went out at the airport as well," he wrote, making it clear that he expected that facility to be protected from the blackouts affecting the rest of the country.
But the power outage was not the only thing he documented. Izaguirre Ortiz recounted that four days before his departure, with two flights active at the terminal and rain outside, water was pouring from the ceiling: "It looked like a flood... of shame," he wrote.
During his entire stay in Cuba, the author stated that he spent 10 days without water and with barely one hour of electricity per day: "Honestly, a complete abuse against the entire population."
The video is produced during the worst moment of the Cuban electricity crisis so far in 2026.
This Monday, the electricity deficit exceeded 2,100 MW again, with blackouts lasting up to 30 continuous hours in some areas of the country.
The most critical point of the month was recorded on May 13, when the deficit reached a record 2,153 MW during peak hours.
Three days later, on May 16, 51% of the country was left without electricity simultaneously, according to data from the national electrical system itself.
The main causes are the shortage of fuel and the deterioration of the thermoelectric plants, especially the CTE Antonio Guiteras, which has suffered repeated unexpected outages.
That combination has led to even facilities considered "protected circuits" being left in the dark.
This is not the first time that the Havana airport has been the center of such scenes.
In September 2025, a blackout left dozens of passengers in the dark in the terminal, although the Airport and Auxiliary Services Company (ECASA) insisted days later that the airports were operating with generators and alternative means.
The crisis goes beyond electricity. In February 2026, the shortage of Jet A-1 fuel forced the suspension of operations at all nine international airports in the country, and Canadian airlines had to send empty planes to repatriate thousands of stranded tourists.
In March of that same year, international aviation alerts confirmed that José Martí did not have fuel available for aviation.
The contrast is striking: in June 2025, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) ranked Havana airport among the most congested in Latin America. Today, a viral video shows it empty and dark.
"I was without water for 10 days and had hardly an hour of electricity for the whole day," summarized Izaguirre Ortiz. "The truth is, it's a complete abuse against the whole community."
Filed under: