Canal Caribe published a video in which the Director of Content and Programming of Cuban Television, Coralia Aguilera Hernández, presented the "summer programming grid for the enjoyment of the whole family," and the response on social media was an avalanche of mockery, indignation, and sarcasm.
The reason is as simple as it is devastating: Cuba is experiencing a severe electrical crisis, with blackouts lasting up to 22 hours a day in Havana and cuts of up to 85 consecutive hours in provinces like Matanzas.
In the video, Aguilera enthusiastically announced the return of the series Policía K1 on Sundays, the launch of the telenovela "Entre Aguas" on Cubavisión, the premiere of "Valle Salvaje," and a new version of "Doña Bella" on Multivisión, as well as summer courses and children's workshops on the Educational Channel.
Tele Rebelde, according to the director, will broadcast the World Cup from the round of 16 to the final, followed by the Central American Games, promising "a very sporty summer."
But none of those announcements mattered in the public conversation.
The question that was repeated in hundreds of comments was always the same: “with which current?”
"If there's no power, they might as well turn off the ICRT and save electricity," wrote a user.
Another person joked, "That's excellent news; it means there will be power 24 hours a day. Finally, we'll be normal people."
One more went straight for the cynicism of the announcement: "This joke is better than the one about the 176 measures," referring to the package of economic measures that the regime published on June 19, which was also met with widespread skepticism.
"This comedy show is amazing. My respects to its writer and director," stated another commenter.
Some tried to find a logical explanation for the announcement: "It must be programming aimed at a segment of the population that has solar panels, energy stations, plants, in other words, alternative sources to have energy in their homes."
Others summarized the situation with dark humor: "Summer options: blackout due to quotas, heat, and mosquitoes."
There were those who pointed to the chronic repetition of state content: "Since I was born until now, the Summer Grill has been the same, the same thing every summer, not to mention the little detail this year: that we don’t have electricity."
A Cuban woman confessed, "I can't remember the last time I turned on the TV; I make the most of the few hours of electricity by getting some sleep with the fan on."
Another user was more graphic: "The only series we will be watching is Apagón infernal, with many episodes throughout the summer and what's left of it."
And one more concluded with bitterness: "This is a joke that brings no laughter, only a strong desire to cry."
The context that makes the announcement so painful is striking: the electrical deficit in Cuba surpassed 2,174 MW in May 2026, a historic record that left 70% of the country without power simultaneously, and the National Electroenergetic System has collapsed seven times in the last 18 months.
In that context, the programming director herself ended her speech with a phrase that, in light of the comments, sounded like unintended irony: "It is always the audience that tells us where we should go next."
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