A visibly distressed Cuban summarizes in 14 seconds what millions of people on the island are experiencing: without electricity, without water, and with spoiled food. Her testimony published on Facebook has garnered over 80,000 views and has become a symbol of frustration amid an unprecedented electrical crisis.
"Sad, sad what we are going through, using up the hot water, everything is ruined, you can't eat, you can't have water, nothing," says the woman in the clip, which has garnered over 1,200 reactions and 139 comments.
The video is not an isolated case. On July 10, 2026, the electricity deficit in Cuba reached a record high of 2,341 MW, with an available generation of only 1,000 MW against a demand of 3,100 MW, according to data from the Electric Union.
So far in 2026, the National Electric System has collapsed at least five times, three of which occurred in just eight days, leaving approximately 9.6 million residents of the island without electricity for extended periods.
In Havana, power outages average between 15 and 24 hours a day. In Matanzas, a young woman documented 80 consecutive hours without electricity or water in her home.
The consequences on food are devastating. According to the Food Monitor Program, 47.59% of Cuban households have lost refrigerated food due to power outages, a figure that exceeds 80% in provinces such as Granma, Matanzas, Pinar del Río, and Sancti Spíritus.
Another Cuban identified as Karla Arelis displayed a box of spoiled chicken due to the cuts, while on July 2, a woman posted images on TikTok of rice, mango, cassava, and cherries decomposing in her refrigerator.
Power outages also disrupt the water supply: 87% of aqueducts rely on electric pumps, leaving nearly 2.7 million Cubans without regular access to drinking water.
The causes are structural: decades of neglect in the thermoelectric system, outdated machinery without maintenance, and a shortage of fuel exacerbated by the interruption of oil shipments from Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026, as well as from Mexico.
The crisis has also created a new social stratification in Cuba: those who can afford generators or batteries have access to energy, while the rest survive in darkness and heat, with temperatures exceeding 38°C.
The fatigue has triggered spontaneous protests. In neighborhoods of Havana such as El Cerro, Luyanó, Regla, and Guanabo, there were reports of people banging pots and pans and confrontations with authorities. A Cuban woman directly confronted a MININT officer with a question that encapsulates the collective desperation: "We want a quality of life, which is a right I have. My food spoiled, who is going to pay for it?"
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