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The state channel Tele Rebelde announced on the broadcast of the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, but instead of enthusiasm, the post sparked an avalanche of furious and ironic comments from Cubans pointing out a crushing reality: without electricity or Internet access, watching the matches is a pipe dream for the majority of the population.
The question that summarizes public sentiment immediately appeared in the comments: "Serious question for you all, with what current? With what signal? Explain that to me, because I don't understand it," wrote an internet user, in what became the involuntary slogan of a situation that the regime refuses to acknowledge.
Another user was more direct: "Live the passion, without signal and without power," parodying the promotional language of the channel. A third user requested ironically: "Send me an ecoflow, please. And signal too," referring to the portable batteries that many Cubans desperately seek to survive the blackouts.
The frustration accumulated throughout the tournament was captured in another comment: "I have only been able to see the second half of one game: Argentina-Egypt due to power outages; I thought the World Cup had been suspended."
One of the most sarcastic comments pointed directly at the Antonio Guiteras power plant, the largest in the country: "Where is the transmission, at Guiteras?". The joke encapsulates months of frustration: Guiteras has accumulated 17 breakdowns so far this year.
The electricity crisis is dragging connectivity down with it. An internet user from Ciego de Ávila confirmed it: "We'll see if they provide a signal because here in Ciego de Ávila, there's never any signal."
The history of Tele Rebelde with the World Cup does not help to build confidence. On June 11, the channel only broadcasted 10 minutes of the opening ceremony before switching to cycling and volleyball, which sparked an initial wave of criticism.
After the complaints, on June 13, it promised to broadcast all qualifying matches with daily replays. The complaints from sports fans show that the promise did not materialize for the majority.
The most anticipated match is Argentina vs. Switzerland, scheduled for the early morning of July 12 in Kansas City, following the epic comeback by the Albiceleste against Egypt (3-2) in the Round of 16, with goals from Messi, Romero, and Enzo Fernández in the last 12 minutes.
A user asked pointedly: "Will they turn the lights on July 11? So we can watch the Argentina game," in a subtle reference to the fifth anniversary of the massive protests on July 11, 2021, when thousands of Cubans took to the streets demanding freedom and electricity.
"Cuba, as always, turned away from the world," wrote another user. And a final comment ended the picture on a bitter note: "This year has been disastrous; we haven't been able to enjoy this World Cup, without electricity or signal, it's awful."
Cuba is undergoing the worst electrical crisis in its history. On July 8, a record deficit of 2,341 MW was recorded, with power cuts lasting between 15 and 24 hours a day in Havana and up to 87 consecutive hours in provinces such as Matanzas.
On July 6, the third nationwide blackout of the year occurred, leaving more than 10 million people without electricity. In response to this situation, Díaz-Canel only managed to ask that authorities "better organize the scheduling of the outages," without announcing any structural measures.
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