The ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel visited the Liberty Defense Zone on Friday, in the Havana municipality of Marianao, where he presented the creation of reservoirs and the use of tanks to transport water as part of the "progress" made amid the supply crisis affecting the capital.
The tour was part of a new round of visits to defense areas, during which the leader combined discussions on military preparedness in response to the alleged threat from the United States with the promotion of the economic transformations driven by his government.
According to the report on Facebook from the portal of the Presidency of Cuba, Díaz-Canel stated that there are 80 approved transformations for implementation, and that number will exceed one hundred next week.
Among the results, he mentioned the incorporation of renewable energy sources, improvements in banking services, the remodeling of Family Care Systems, and the creation of new water reservoirs.
When referring to the water crisis, the official stated that companies from various sectors have contributed means for water transportation and that new reservoirs have been created to address supply challenges, presenting these actions as management achievements despite being responses to an emergency situation caused by the deterioration of the system.
The statements contrast with the magnitude of the crisis. According to the latest data from specialists at Aguas de La Habana, more than 500,000 residents of the capital remain affected by issues with the water supply, a figure that has risen from the 200,000 reported in April and the 376,055 recorded in May.
On a national scale, about 2.7 million people face difficulties accessing drinking water every day.
The collapse of the water system is closely linked to the energy crisis. 87% of the pumping facilities depend on electricity supply, but only 135 out of the 480 existing stations in the country have circuits protected against power outages.
Furthermore, 40% of the pumping equipment is in poor condition, and the system operates with only 37% of the required fuel.
Díaz-Canel's visit coincided with new expressions of discontent in the capital. That same Friday, a group of women blocked the Calzada de Diez de Octubre to demand solutions to the prolonged blackouts, in yet another protest that reflects the growing public dissatisfaction with the deterioration of basic services.
A few days ago, a state pipe driver was caught on video pouring water on the ground in San José de Las Lajas, Mayabeque, which sparked a wave of outrage on social media.
In San Miguel del Padrón, the situation reached a breaking point. Neighbors even resorted to fighting over a bucket of water when only one truck was sent for the entire area, and some turned to septic tank water.
The Cuban Observatory of Conflicts recorded 107 street protests in June, an all-time historical record, many of which were directly related to water shortages and power outages, a trend that shows no signs of reversing in July.
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