A Cuban teacher went viral on TikTok by posting a video in which she simulates giving the final exam for the 2025-2026 course with three questions about the country's electrical crisis, in an irony that humorously encapsulates the energy collapse afflicting the island.
The account @la_proferepa, identified as a Cuban teacher, opens the video with a tone typical of a classroom: “Everyone pay attention, I’m going to dictate the control work, no one speaks from this moment on. Well, final exam for the 2025-2026 course, write your first and last name and next to it the block you belong to.”
The three questions of the fictitious exam are as precise as they are revealing.
The first: "Name three thermoelectric power plants."
The second: "From the existing thermoelectric plants, section a, mention the one that is most removed from the system; section b, mention three of the most common causes."
The third: "Say what activities you do during the blackout hours."
At the end, the author concludes with a phrase that encapsulates all the irony of the video: "Now that we’re all set, the test is easy, I know everyone knows the answer, I don’t want anyone talking, that’s a distraction, I don’t think this needs any distractions, let’s get to it."
The joke hurts because it's accurate. Cuba faces blackouts of up to 1,990 MW expected for tonight, with a generation capacity of only 1,090 MW against a demand of 3,050 MW, according to the Electric Union (UNE).
This means that approximately 65% of Cuba will be without power this Saturday during peak night hours, according to Infobae.
The most frequently mentioned thermoelectric plants in the outage reports are Felton, Renté (Santiago de Cuba), Mariel, Santa Cruz del Norte, Cienfuegos (Céspedes), Nuevitas, and Guiteras. These plants have been in operation for decades and experience recurring failures.
The impact of the crisis has reached even the classrooms. Power outages have forced a relaxation of schedules and dress codes in provinces like Artemisa, where, when school snacks are not guaranteed, only one class session is held due to prolonged outages.
Humor on social media has become a release valve in the face of an unrelenting reality.
In January 2026, a young man from Holguín summed up the daily experience with the phrase "Two hours to feel alive." In May, a nine-second reel featuring the phrase "I have a bit left" became a symbol of popular frustration.
The video’s own creator acknowledges this in the description: “It is only for entertainment purposes. Although the reality is sad. The day we stop laughing at our problems, massive heart attacks will truly be massive.”
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, acknowledged in December 2025 that 2026 would be "slightly better" due to repairs and increased solar capacity, but that the lack of fuel would hinder the elimination of blackouts.
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