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A Facebook post written by the Cuban Violeta Velázquez Rodríguez has resonated with hundreds of users both inside and outside the island by articulating a reality that millions of Cubans face every day: survival has become a constant struggle for basic necessities.
"I don't want luxury. I want to sleep eight hours straight, drink cold water, cook without charcoal, and not spend the day worrying about the most basic things," summarizes the message that has circulated on social media.
"The expiration date of the suffering of the ordinary Cuban seems to be unknown to anyone. I have never experienced such a harsh period as this. It's like the saying goes: downhill and without brakes," he wrote.
Her testimony describes a daily life marked by power outages lasting over 20 hours, a shortage of medications, insufficient salaries, and a cost of living that is increasingly difficult to manage.
"With the excessive increase in the price of the dollar, food is becoming increasingly unattainable, and misery is growing at the same rate that the Cuban peso is devaluing. No one is applying the brakes," he lamented.
The figures reflect part of that reality. The average state salary in Cuba closed 2025 at 6,930 pesos per month. At the current informal exchange rate, that amount is equivalent to just over a dozen dollars, while the estimated cost of basic goods and services far exceeds the income of most families.
The situation becomes even more complex due to the energy crisis. This Monday, the Electric Union reported a deficit exceeding 2,000 megawatts during peak hours, while prolonged blackouts continue across much of the country.
Health is also affected by the crisis. Various reports have documented the shortage of medications in state pharmacies, where numerous treatments have been unavailable for months.
But beyond the statistics, Velázquez Rodríguez's message reflects a sentiment shared by many Cubans.
"What do we feel? We feel abandoned. It cannot be that a nation lives with insufficient wages, daily power outages lasting more than 20 hours, empty pharmacies, all basic services in decline, and no end in sight for the misery," he wrote.
The Cuban also made a direct appeal to the authorities to seek solutions to a crisis that, in her view, has reached an unsustainable point.
"It is time to change what needs to be changed. Swallow your pride, your sovereignty, your 'Homeland or Death,' and start negotiating, because it's not fair for this people to live like this for even one more day," he stated.
Her post adds to other voices that have used social media in recent months to denounce the decline in living conditions on the island, from prolonged power outages to shortages of food and medicine.
The final sentence of your message encapsulates the sentiment you wished to convey:
"This town is not resisting; it is dying: tired, hungry, worn out, with physical and mental health at risk every day."
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