The Periódico Girón, the official publication of the province of Matanzas, published an article about old cast iron plates that still survive in rural areas of Cuba, presenting them as a "curious story" of artifacts from the past. The reaction from Cubans was immediate and devastating.
The publication, framed within the section "Matanceras Postcards," asked in a folkloric tone whether readers were aware that "even in rural areas of the national territory, there are various and ancient cast iron plates, more abundant than those commonly known as coal plates."
What the official media presented as nostalgia, Cubans interpreted as a warning sign about the regression the country is experiencing. Matanzas recorded in July 2026 up to 87 consecutive hours without electricity, the largest documented provincial blackout so far.
In that context, a charcoal iron ceases to be a museum piece and becomes a useful tool. The comments reflected a mix of indignation and bitter humor on this topic.
"What poverty! We've returned to the 19th century," wrote a reader. Another user was more direct: "A brief preamble before we start using it again. Welcome to the modern Stone Age in Cuba."
Several commentators pointed out that the artifact could soon become a thing of the past. "At the rate Cuba is regressing, it won't be long before we're walking around in loincloths and feathers on our heads. For God's sake, don’t normalize misery and backwardness. Publishing this as we move further into the 21st century is an ode to poverty," wrote a reader.
Another person went even further: "If what is missing for Columbus to discover us is for the three caravels to reach land, then we are currently further behind than the farmer-potters and the hunter-gatherer-fishers. At least they had something to plant, hunt, and fish; we don't even have that anymore."
The question about fuel also immediately arose among the comments, recalling that some of those old irons ran on gasoline: "Where's the fuel?" asked one user. "At this rate of life, the charcoal iron will undoubtedly become the norm," declared another.
Cuba is experiencing a documented technological regression. In May 2026, a moped adapted with charcoal using a handmade gasifier went viral in Villa Clara.
In March, a mechanic from Havana converted a 1980 Fiat Polski to run on coal due to the gasoline shortage.
The industrial physical index in 2024 fell below the levels of the Special Period in the 1990s, one of the worst moments for the Cuban economy since 1959. The fuel crisis is so severe that Miguel Díaz-Canel officially requested ensuring materials for cooking with charcoal and firewood.
A commentator summed up what many Cubans think about the country's regression: "At any moment, we will create fire by rubbing stones together. Publications like this one about coal plates leave us speechless, signaling where things are headed."
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