Miguel Díaz-Canel's attempt to congratulate Santa Clara on the 337th anniversary of its founding turned into a new outlet for Cubans, who took advantage of the post to report power outages, water shortages, and the deterioration of the city.
"Today, July 15, the beloved Santa Clara celebrates its 337th anniversary. As a son of this city and a representative of this land, I congratulate the people of Santa Clara, a heroic and hardworking community. A big hug," wrote the leader on his X account, along with three photographs of the city, including an aerial view and the monument to Che Guevara.
Instead of receiving congratulations, the post was flooded with criticism.
One of the most shared responses was from the user @IAMCharlen26352, who summarized the feelings of many in just four words: "President, I have no power."
Other users criticized that the message overlooked the situation faced by thousands of families.
"The people do not live on anniversaries; their job is to find solutions and make the economy work. I cannot fill my children's stomachs with anniversaries or ideals," wrote @Reinier_King.
In the same tone, @AlbertoYariny held the ruling establishment responsible for the country's deterioration.
"It’s a shame it is destroyed because of the Castro Communist dictatorship, where you, the political elite, live as millionaires while the people die of hunger, without electricity or water."
A city struck by blackouts
The criticisms reflect a situation that the residents of Santa Clara have been denouncing on social media for weeks.
On Facebook, complaints about prolonged power outages and the uneven distribution of service are rampant. Residents of Circuit 27, in the Camacho neighborhood, reported having endured four consecutive days without electricity before July 13, only to receive a few hours of service afterward. To make matters worse, they also face a water supply crisis that, they claim, has lasted for over four months.
The complaints are echoed in other areas of the city. Residents of Circuit 6 report that they rarely receive more than two hours of electricity, while those in Circuit 2 claim they have gone for months without service at night, preventing them from resting and pumping water into their homes.
"Every blackout takes away years of life, hope, peace, and joy from us; it robs us of the childhood of our children. We are left in a constant survival mode: no food, no medicine, not even a glass of cold water," summarized one user.
The greeting comes amidst a new energy crisis
Díaz-Canel's congratulation coincided with one of the most critical moments for the Cuban electrical system.
Just a day earlier, on Tuesday, the National Electric System experienced its fifth complete blackout of 2026 —and the tenth in the last two years— following the shutdown of Unit 1 at the Felton thermoelectric plant in Holguín. In July alone, the country has recorded three national electric failures on the 6th, 10th, and 14th, with generation deficits exceeding 2,300 megawatts.
In Villa Clara, the situation has also been particularly complex. On July 8, the province had only 50 megawatts of generation, enough to supply just 47 of its more than 200 electrical circuits. On the same day, there were 115 active secondary outages, most of which were concentrated in Santa Clara.
Among the most critical cases is a 12-story building in the El Sandino neighborhood, whose residents reported being without electricity or water for more than 112 consecutive hours.
This is not the first time that a post from the ruler has provoked a similar reaction. In recent weeks, Díaz-Canel's messages about power outages and the economic crisis have been met with responses from hundreds of users complaining about the lack of electricity, food, water, and medicine.
One of the comments posted by a neighbor from Circuito 27 captures the mood of many residents of Santa Clara:
"After four days without electricity, we barely had four hours of service. When we call the electric company, the response is that there is a deficit. There are no longer words to describe the torture to which we are subjected."
Related videos:
Filed under: