A line of dozens of people illuminated only by the screens of their cell phones, while they wait to buy chicken in the midst of a blackout, encapsulates the daily crisis faced by millions of Cubans.
The scene was captured in a video posted on Facebook by the Unaguajira de Palmarito account, showing neighbors lining up in front of a store at night, in a place identified as Palmarito.
The recording, lasting just 30 seconds, is titled "The Chicken Arrived in My Mountain" and shows how buyers move slowly in the darkness, with no other source of light but their own mobile phones.
"The night falls, but in Cuba, the day doesn’t end. In the dark, under the usual blackout, an endless line moves like shadows. There is no light, but there is an urgency that cannot wait," narrates the video’s author.
The blackout and the shortage coincide once again
The scene was recorded during a new total blackout of the National Electric System (SEN), the fifth one in 2026 so far, following the shutdown of Unit 1 of the Felton thermoelectric plant.
The prolonged power outages, which in numerous areas exceed 20 hours daily, force thousands of families to queue under increasingly challenging conditions to try to purchase basic food items when they become available.
In the case of chicken, the situation has worsened in recent months due to irregularities in distribution and rising prices.
The Cuban regime eliminated the price caps on chopped chicken in June through Resolution 150/2026, which caused its cost to soar from between 150 and 250 pesos to between 3,500 and 6,000 pesos, in a country where the average state salary hovers around 7,000 pesos per month.
Weeks earlier, the Minister of Food Industry, Alberto López Díaz, had publicly admitted that "so far in 2026, the regulated basket has not distributed chicken," according to Cuban officials who acknowledged the collapse of the supply.
"Can you cook the last one?"
The images sparked an avalanche of reactions on social media.
Many users not only lamented the long wait but also the uncertainty of being able to cook the food if they managed to purchase it.
"Can the last one be cooked? It's not easy," commented Aidee Mendoza Reyes, referring to the blackouts that affect much of the country.
"It is not easy, and as always, it fell short," wrote another user, Laritza Acosta Viera.
Others directly held the authorities responsible for the situation.
"What a crime what is happening in Cuba," expressed Dayanis González López.
The scene reflects a reality that is becoming increasingly common across various parts of the island: long lines to obtain food, power outages lasting several hours, and citizens forced to wait in complete darkness, hoping to purchase essential goods before they run out.
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