The Cuban singer Lisbeet Bárzaga posted a brief video on Facebook this Thursday, in which she expresses her heartache as she walks the streets of Cienfuegos and witnesses the devastating impact of the power outages on the population, especially on children.
In the 26-second clip filmed outdoors in the city known as "the Pearl of the South," the artist describes what she sees with a mix of sadness and helplessness: "How sad it is to walk and see people in their blackouts, I can't adapt, and then see children cooped up in their homes, some of them, and others hustling, as they say, on the streets because they have no other option."
The video concludes with a spiritual call that encapsulates the feelings of many Cubans: "We must pray a lot and may God truly have mercy on us."
The reactions of the followers reflect a landscape of desolation. Several users identified the locations in the video as emblematic spots in Cienfuegos and described the contrast with the city they knew: "Cienfuegos was a vibrant city, the Dolores promenade and the Villuendas park... now it's dead. There’s nothing, just darkness, and people close up early."
From abroad, Cubans with family on the island joined in the collective grief: "Life is not easy for Cubans, but I hope they are close to achieving freedom now. I have my nieces and brother there in Cienfuegos, and the days of blackouts are terrible."
Other comments were more direct about the causes: "The option is to end that dictatorship," wrote one user, while another summed up the general mood: "You no longer see people happy like before; you see them destroyed, powerless, and dimmed."
The video by Bárzaga reflects a crisis that has been steadily worsening since 2026. According to data from the Electric Union, the generation deficit has fluctuated between 1,700 and 2,100 MW in May and June, with blackouts in some areas exceeding 20 hours daily. On May 14, a historic deficit record of 2,174 MW was recorded, leaving 70% of the population without electricity simultaneously.
Cienfuegos has been one of the most critical points in the national system due to repeated failures at the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes thermal power plant, with unit 4 being out of service multiple times throughout the year. On March 16, Cuba experienced a total disconnection of the national electroenergetic system, one of the most severe episodes of the crisis.
In that context, social media has become the primary platform for civic denuncia, with both artists and anonymous citizens documenting the human impact of the power outages: children unable to study, food wasted, and a population that describes itself as exhausted. "What a sad vacation for our children!" wrote another user beneath the video of Bárzaga.
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