A Cuban identified as Melissa Marchante posted a video on Facebook that encapsulates the frustration of millions with a single question: "How much longer?".
In the clip, the woman appears visibly distressed, her gaze heavy with exhaustion. No further explanation is needed: the scene speaks for itself.
Melissa showcases the various scenes that unfold each day in Cuban households: lacking running water, waiting for food to arrive at the corner store, enduring blackouts that in many areas last over 24 consecutive hours, and without gas for cooking...
Your question of "until when?" has become the daily cry of Cuba in 2026.
The video is not an isolated case. According to official Cuban data collected in May, nearly 2.7 million Cubans lack regular access to drinking water, and around 10 million experience intermittent supply.
The structural reason is straightforward: 87% of the country's aqueducts rely on the National Electric System. Without electricity, there is no water. And electricity is dramatically scarce.
This Thursday, the Electric Union projected a deficit of 1,975 MW during peak hours, with 1,203 MW unavailable due to a lack of fuel. On Wednesday, the deficit was 1,905 MW against a demand of 3,150 MW. In some municipalities, blackouts of up to 50 consecutive hours were documented.
The regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel does not offer concrete solutions to a crisis that worsens week by week.
The most painful contrast appears in one of the comments on the video: "And in Varadero, celebrating the start of summer." Between May 29 and May 31, while millions of Cubans were without water or electricity, a luxury hotel hosted the "Summer Start 2K26" party, with VIP tables costing up to 600 dollars. Sandro Castro, grandson of Fidel Castro, attended and promoted the event.
The comments on Marchante's video mix pain, anger, and resignation. One of the most striking remarks highlights the normalization of misery as the deepest evil: "The worst part is that many have normalized living without electricity, gas, and water... they cook with firewood, hauling water, and when the power goes out, they already have the dominoes and a bottle of rum ready, and the party begins."
Others simply repeat the same question: "how long, damn it."
There are those who express emotional solidarity: "You made me cry, my girl"; "Girl, it breaks my heart to see your little face as you call out to God"; and "It's hard, God, place your hand."
Some internet users are more succinct but just as precise: “That is the life of a Cuban” or “The sad reality of our country. How you hurt, Cuba.”
The UN warned in May that the combination of blackouts and water shortages , and other waterborne diseases, adding a health dimension to a crisis that was already humanitarian.
"It's not easy, you don't know where this is going to end up," wrote another internet user, and few phrases better capture the uncertainty that the Island is experiencing today.
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