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A Cuban posted on social media a testimony that quickly became a symbol of collective exhaustion over the electricity crisis: "I can’t remember the last time I ate with electricity. I can’t remember the last time I was able to use my household appliances normally. I can’t remember the last time I sat down to relax and watch a movie, without worrying about another blackout."
In her post, Mileydis González describes how the blackouts have taken away the most basic things: cooking in peace, sleeping through the night, preserving food, and spending time with family.
"They have stolen simple things that used to seem normal," he wrote, before concluding with a declaration of resistance: "Because this is no longer life... it is a daily torture. I WILL NEVER ADAPT TO LIVING IN DARKNESS."
Hundreds of Cubans responded, identifying with every word.
Anay Hernandez wrote: "A cemetery of the living is the Cuba we are living in; every night is a different sleeplessness. I don't want to keep comparing myself to those who are worse off. I want to sleep, I want to rest my mind; is that too much to ask?"
For her part, Cecilia Paulina Rumbau Labarrere recounted that the darkness is already affecting her vision: "We no longer greet each other with 'good morning,' we barely sleep, and the greeting has become 'has it come? has it gone?' because we can no longer eat at any time, we are surrounded by eternal twilight."
Virginio Cabrera warned that the situation goes beyond just the heat: "For those of us who have almost the entire day without electricity, after several months of this, we are also approaching the brink of famine, unable to diversify our meals because we don't have refrigeration, and everything spoils in this Cuban climate."
Moreover, Yamile Gonzalez reported blackouts lasting up to 50 consecutive hours in various parts of the country: "I will never get used to the darkness, it is our right to live with light... blackouts of 24 and 25 hours, in other places even 40 and 50 hours, there is no body that can endure such agony."
Irony also had its place. Aleixi Batista wrote: "The last time I had electricity for 24 hours, they were airing 'La esclava Isaura'," referring to the 1976 Brazilian telenovela. Chay Zapata Hechevarria was more direct: "I believe that in the series The Walking Dead, they lived better than we do."
Kenny Orlando Ribalta Consuegra summed up the sentiments of many: "It has become a lamentable routine, and it seems we will continue like this for a few more years, while those at the top keep lining their pockets with our suffering."
The testimony is set against the worst electrical crisis in Cuba in decades. This Monday, the generation deficit reaches 2,080 MW, with a mere availability of 1,100 MW compared to a demand of 3,150 MW.
On Sunday, a maximum impact of 2,140 MW was recorded at 8:50 PM. In Havana, power outages exceed 20 hours daily; in some areas of Matanzas, over 85 consecutive hours without electricity have been reported.
A scientific study on the psychological impact of blackouts revealed that 54% of Cubans show extremely severe levels of depression, 66% suffer from severe anxiety, and 65.8% exhibit extreme stress.
No participant was classified within normal mental health parameters. One in three households had someone who went to bed hungry due to the cuts.
Kenia Cabrera Leon expressed it plainly: "They are slowly killing us psychologically, little by little."
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