Related videos:
The publication of an official report on the electricity crisis in Matanzas sparked a wave of outrage on social media this Monday, with hundreds of Cubans pointing out the same contradiction: the province has just been declared "Outstanding" by the regime, while its residents have been without electricity for more than 70 hours in some circuits.
The official media outlet Periódico Girón described the situation as a "complex panorama": eight electric substations out of service and 63 damaged transformers, some of which are difficult to replace, with issues dating back to May. According to Kenny Cruz González, technical deputy director of the Provincial Electric Company, four substations—Lagunilla, Carbonera, Fine, and Bolondrón—are experiencing technical breakdowns, while another four—México, Gratitud, Manuelito, and San Joaquín—are unable to operate due to theft of dielectric oil, the essential coolant for transformers that is being sold on the black market as agricultural fuel.
In the comments, residents of Unión de Reyes, Perico, Jovellanos, Pedro Betancourt, Agramonte, Los Arabos, Máximo Gómez, and Santa Marta reported power outages lasting 88, 90, 92, and even 96 consecutive hours.
The common theme in almost all the messages was the same: sarcasm regarding the official recognition. Just three days earlier, the first secretary of the Communist Party in Matanzas, Mario Sabines Lorenzo, had enthusiastically announced that the province had achieved the status of “Outstanding Province” in the competition for the 73rd anniversary of the assault on the Moncada barracks.
"And this is the most notable province, we are the laughingstock of everyone," wrote a user. Another was more blunt: "Of course, notable in enduring." A third person summarized the collective sentiment: "We are noted for blackouts and accumulated garbage on every corner, for shortages of water, medication, food, and ATMs that allow us to withdraw the money we produce, but above all, we are notable for the great inefficiency of those who claim to lead us."
The irony repeated itself in dozens of variations: "If this is the standout, I don't want to be in the others," "But, aren't we a standout province? I think we need to be consistent," "Calling the current situation a 'complex panorama' is like referring to the sinking of the Titanic as a 'minor incident.'"
The response from the provincial authorities did little to calm tensions. Governor Marieta Poey Zamora, instead of announcing solutions for the electricity collapse, urged the Family Care Systems to act differently: "We need to make croquettes, hamburgers, fritters... We have the children inside the houses, who are on vacation, so it is essential to increase production everywhere." The phrase became the target of widespread mockery.
The electric crisis is compounded by other shortages that citizens listed without pause: more than 500 tons of rice that remain undistributed due to a lack of fuel for transportation, retirees unable to collect their pensions because banks do not have cash, children aged zero to seven in the city of Colón who have not received milk since January 30, 2026, and charcoal—an alternative for cooking—costing between 2,000 and 2,500 pesos per bag.
The paradox of forced banking has also drawn criticism: authorities require payment by card due to a cash shortage, yet almost no establishments accept transfers. "What do I do when I have money on the card? Where can I buy my basic necessities?" asked a user.
Sabines Lorenzo himself admitted in his speech on June 27 that "although the blackouts are very long and the population experiences many outages, sometimes accumulating 50 to 60 hours in some circuits of our province," in addition to acknowledging 18 companies with losses and "very insufficient" compliance in exports. Nonetheless, he concluded his speech with cheers for the Revolution and Díaz-Canel.
"Every time they meet, it's to think and analyze, never to solve; it's more of the same," asserted another comment that garnered numerous supportive responses.
Filed under: