A group of mothers from the Vista Hermosa neighborhood in the Havana municipality of Guanabacoa successfully lobbied on Friday for the authorities to restore the electrical supply to their community after going directly to the offices of the government and the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) to report over four months of blackouts and an alleged illegal sale of electricity in their circuit.
The event was captured in a video posted on Facebook that garnered over 58,000 views in just a few hours, in which the neighbors can be heard shouting in celebration of the return of electricity: "Las Marianas, Las Marianas, we have power thanks to them, who went to the government!"
According to the post by Yenni Ferias, the creator of the video, the neighborhood appeared in the electric company's systems marked "in red," meaning it was indicated as having supply, when in reality it had been receiving only two or three hours of electricity per day for over four months.
"It can't be possible that every day there are only 2 or 3 hours of electricity, leaving us without power for more than 24 hours," wrote Ferias, who also reported that the authorities claimed they were unaware of what was happening in the area.
The main accusation points to corruption. According to the neighbors, electricity was being "sold" in their area, a practice that allegedly diverted the supply to other sectors or businesses in exchange for money, while entire families spent nights without electricity.
"Corruption exists, and for the sake of earning a few dollars, many don’t care that many children sleep without electricity and are bitten by mosquitoes," Ferias noted in his post.
Once the mothers filed the complaint, the authorities restored the service immediately, which for many residents confirmed that the issue was not only one of generation but also of corrupt distribution.
The comments on the post reflect why they are the ones leading these actions. "Men are often taken away by the police. Bravo, girls... we have the guts to stand up for the family," wrote a follower.
Other comments called for collective organization. "Stay on the offensive... all of us together, not just one, always united in a group." And also: "That's how it's done, in unity there is strength."
"They demonstrated that together, anything is possible," concluded Ferias, whose publication ended with a plea that encapsulates the feelings of many Cubans: to reorganize blackout schedules fairly and to ensure that corruption does not exacerbate a crisis that is already unsustainable.
The case of Vista Hermosa is not isolated. On July 17, a mother from Calabazar, Boyeros, reported that two linemen from the Electric Union were illegally selling electricity from the neighborhood, and prioritizing private businesses that paid.
The company acknowledged the incident and announced measures, although it referred to it as an "isolated act of corruption." In this regard, the Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the PCC, Roberto Morales Ojeda, publicly admitted that there are reports of corruption in the Cuban electric sector.
Women and mothers have played a prominent role in the most visible protests during this crisis. This Friday, a group of women blocked the Calzada de Diez de Octubre in Havana, aiming to demand solutions for the power outages.
This Saturday, Cuba faces massive blackouts on the eve of July 26 and the Electric Union forecasted a shortfall of 2,160 MW during peak hours, against a demand of 3,200 MW and a availability of only 1,070 MW.
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