The Cuban comedian Reuel Remedios, known for his character Lindoro Incapaz, has found the ultimate explanation for one of Cuba's most frustrating mysteries: why the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Power Plant enters and exits the electrical grid as if it has a mind of its own. And the answer, according to him, is as simple as it is irrefutable.
In a one-minute reel published on Facebook, Lindoro begins the video with a principled statement: "I don't want to hear any more discussions about Guiteras, okay?" According to the character, Cubans argue so much because "they lack so many things that when they argue and win the discussion at least they can say: 'I've got something, at least I have the truth.'" A snapshot of the national soul in two sentences.
But the real discovery comes afterwards. Lindoro settles the debate with a revelation that, in his reasoning, explains everything: "La Guiteras is foreign... Cuadra, La Guiteras is yuma, that's why she lives abroad." And he concludes: "What happens is she comes by from time to time just for a quick visit to greet the family and then, just like that, she leaves." Mystery solved. Case closed.
The metaphor is so precise that it hurts. La Guiteras, located in Matanzas and regarded as the largest power generation plant in Cuba with a capacity of 330 MW, went offline from the National Electroenergetic System for the sixteenth time in 2026 on June 24, just two days after having returned on the 22nd. It came in, greeted the family, and left. Exactly as Lindoro said.
The last malfunction occurred due to water loss in the boiler, when the plant was supplying 250 MW steadily to the system. On Friday the 26th, technicians were cutting and welding three damaged pipes of the economizer, the component that was out of service for nearly 300 hours between January and the end of May. The plant director, Román Pérez Castañeda, acknowledged that at least 180 days of shutdown are necessary for a comprehensive review, but that "the country's situation does not allow for it yet."
The Minister of Energy, Vicente de la O Levy, promised that capital maintenance would be completed by the end of 2025, but postponed it in December citing a "situational problem" and announced it again in April 2026 without a specific date. The Guiteras has been in operation for more than 38 years without having received that capital maintenance since 2010. In the meantime, patches are piling up: in previous repairs, 544 weld seams were inspected, 172 were repaired, and the thickness was measured at more than 850 points.
The context in which Lindoro makes his joke is anything but funny. On June 25, Cuba recorded a record electric deficit of 2,208 MW, exceeding the previous high of 2,174 MW set on May 14. Havana was without electricity for a full 24 hours on Thursday, the 25th. Communities in Matanzas experienced 85 consecutive hours without power. Furthermore, 106 distributed generation plants remain inactive due to a lack of fuel, totaling 890 MW unavailable.
The situation has sparked a wave of protests. The Cuban Conflict Observatory reported 1,311 contentious actions just in May 2026, the highest monthly figure ever recorded. Pot banging in Santiago de Cuba, demonstrations in the Havana neighborhood of Vedado met with police response, and internet outages in conflict areas complete the picture.
In the comments of the video, Lindoro's followers celebrated the joke with the same resignation that characterizes Cubans who "at least have the reason." One pointed out that the comedian's explanation was more coherent than any official statement. Another noted that if the Guiteras is a foreigner, maybe we should ask for a visa for her to stay.
Experts estimate that restoring the Cuban electrical system will require an investment of between 8,000 and 10,000 million dollars and between three to five years of work. In the meantime, the Guiteras will continue to be, as Lindoro says, that distant relative who comes to visit, drinks coffee, and disappears before anyone can ask her to stay.
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