Neighbors of Reparto Zamora, in Marianao, Havana, appear in a video posted on Facebook chopping wood with a damaged axe to light makeshift stoves, due to the complete lack of domestic gas and power outages that last for hours.
The recording, shared by Mayker Jiménez Pelegrín, summarizes in 42 seconds the odyssey of cooking in Cuba amidst the worst energy crisis the island has faced in decades.
"Here there is no pacabón, here we have to prepare the food with whatever we have," the author recounts while showing his neighbors hard at work.
"The axe doesn't cut, but well, with a lot of effort, we manage," he adds, describing the physical effort involved in a task that should be routine and straightforward. The scene concludes with a phrase that encapsulates the collective exhaustion: "This is how we are, gentlemen, there's nothing more to discuss, just a little to resolve."
Zamora is not an isolated case. This same neighborhood was the scene of protests on June 8 after six consecutive days of blackouts lasting 21 hours a day and without running water.
The National Electric System operates with a generation deficit of between 2,015 and 2,040 megawatts compared to a peak demand of 3,050 MW, leading to outages of between 12 and 22 hours daily in many areas of the country.
The electricity crisis is compounded by the near disappearance of liquefied gas from the formal market. In the informal market, a gas cylinder can cost up to 50 dollars, an amount that is unaffordable for most Cubans.
The government indefinitely suspended the distribution of gas in the eastern part of the country in January 2026 due to a lack of supply, and although it temporarily resumed sales in Havana in May with around 15,000 cylinders per day, that amount proved insufficient to meet demand.
More than 9 million Cubans cook without stable access to gas or electricity, relying on wood stoves, charcoal, dry leaves from almond trees, or repurposed empty fire extinguishers.
Miguel Díaz-Canel called in March 2026 to ensure materials for cooking "from charcoal to firewood", effectively normalizing a historical regression that the regime had promised to overcome.
The air that Cubans breathe is not only polluted by the smoke from makeshift stoves. The collapse of garbage collection services—due to a lack of fuel for the municipal service trucks—has led to waste fires in streets and neighborhoods throughout the country.
The Trash Piles are Burning in Holguín, the "El Bote" landfill in Havana recurrently emits toxic smoke, and in Santos Suárez, the residents themselves burned heaps of garbage during protests due to power outages lasting up to 22 hours on June 19.
The combustion of wood, coal, and plastics in urban environments emits toxic particles that increase the risk of chronic respiratory diseases and cardiovascular problems, particularly in children and the elderly.
The video description by Jiménez Pelegrín states directly: "the situation forces everyone to breathe contaminated air."
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