More than 40 hours without electricity forced a Cuban family to come up with desperate solutions to avoid losing their food, in a scene that a TikToker identified as @laurenlotti5 documented on May 25, 2026, which garnered over 266,000 views on TikTok.
In light of the imminent loss of perishable food, the family made a decision: to share it with the neighbors so they could cook it right away. "It's sad to see food about to go bad, so we gave it to the neighbors to cook today," the TikToker explained in the video.
The other option was to go seek ice under the Cuban sun, covering long distances with no guarantee of finding it. "My grandparents went out looking for ice as if it were gold. We went really far to find ice, and the only thing we found was this, because almost no one has electricity, so we have to chip it and fill the fridge to buy a couple of hours against the blackout," he described.
The author of the video herself summarized the paradox in a few words: in Cuba, ice has become more reliable than electricity.
The situation depicted in the video is not an isolated case. Cubans across the island have reported massive food losses during lengthy power outages, which in some regions have lasted up to 85 consecutive hours. Without refrigeration and with temperatures reaching as high as 38°C, perishable foods become unsafe in just two hours.
The electricity generation deficit in Cuba reached 2,174 MW on May 14, 2026, leaving over 54% of the island without electricity. In June, the deficit remained at 2,038 MW, with the peak impact recorded at 8:30 PM. Blackouts in Havana lasted between 20 and 24 hours daily.
The national electrical system has completely collapsed at least seven times in 18 months. The national blackout on March 16, 2026, lasted for 29 hours and 29 minutes. Overloads upon restoring service caused explosions and damage to appliances in 14 homes in Santa Clara.
The crisis also cuts off water: 87% of Cuban aqueducts depend on electricity to pump, leaving millions without regular access to drinking water. A Cuban woman reported on June 20 that she had spent 42 hours without electricity and more than three weeks without water.
Other families have adopted strategies similar to those of @laurenlotti5: cooking at three in the morning when the electricity comes on, using charcoal or firewood, or simply discarding what cannot be salvaged.
In addition to documenting the crisis, the video by @laurenlotti5 captures a delivery of humanitarian aid funded by her followers: instant milk, beans, spaghetti, oil, detergent, rice, coffee, sugar, flour, and tomato puree, brought to a man in need. "None of this would be possible without you. Thank you for every blessing you send us," the TikToker expressed at the end of the video.
Upon closing, he posed a question to his followers that reflects the magnitude of the everyday problem faced by Cubans: "Let me know in the comments if you know of any methods for food preservation."
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