The Cuban comedian Reuel Remedios, through his character Lindoro Incapaz, published a video on Facebook that has become the most accurate—and painfully funny—summary of the electrical catastrophe that Cuba is experiencing in 2026. In just one minute and eight seconds, the sketch outlines a comedic progression that, unfortunately, doesn't seem very distant from reality.
The starting point of the monologue is a complaint that any Cuban instantly recognizes: the futility of the "informative groups," those chats organized by electrical circuits or Committees for the Defense of the Revolution where it is supposed that notifications about scheduled outages are provided.
"Greetings, folks, greetings, everybody. Well, you know an informational meeting is meant to convey what’s going to happen, right? Why is it that after the power goes out, you tell me we cut the power to such-and-such circuit? If I already know you cut it, why did you cut it?" Lindoro exclaims in his unmistakable tone of an overbearing leader who understands nothing but explains everything.
The logical counter comes immediately: "Moreover, when you take it away from me, that message doesn't reach me. Who are you informing? If you want to help me, let me know what time you're going to take it away and what time you’re going to put it back." The observation is so obvious that it hurts, and that’s exactly what makes the character so compelling.
But the real comedic hit —the one that has sparked over 30,000 views and 1,400 reactions— is the timeline of the electrical degradation that Lindoro outlines with almost documentary precision. "The situation is difficult. At first, they would cut it off for a while in each province, then for a longer period in each municipality, and then for an even longer time, but by area," the character recites as if reading a report from the Electric Union.
The downward trend continues: "When they started cutting off the blocks, it was two or three hours without power. Now it's an hour and a half to two hours per circuit." And here comes the prediction that has sparked comments: "They say that in August it will be 20 minutes per CDR. And by September it will be personalized: you go to a local office, they give you your 10-minute token, and you can use it on any day you need it during the month, okay? We're making progress, you know."
What makes the joke work —and at the same time sends a chill down the spine— is that reality is not so far from fiction. The National Electric System collapsed for the fifth time in July, with blackouts frequently exceeding 20 hours a day. On Thursday the 23rd, just two days before the video circulated, the Electric Union reported a maximum impact of 2,315 MW, with service interrupted for 24 hours across the country.
The official response has also failed to calm the atmosphere. On July 10, Díaz-Canel toured Central Havana and, instead of announcing concrete measures to increase electricity generation, called for a "better organization of the scheduled outages." The statement was met with a mix of indignation and laughter that Lindoro had, inadvertently, already foreshadowed.
The character, present on Cuban television since around 2007 in programs like "Deja que yo te cuente" and "Vivir del cuento," embodies the corrupt, boastful, and incompetent leader who always has an explanation for everything except a solution. In 2026, his sketches have addressed the shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras power plant and the lunch plan for Cuban workers, among other issues, accumulating tens of thousands of interactions per post.
Among the comments on the video, internet users agreed that the "10-minute power bar" didn't sound so far-fetched, and more than one suggested that Lindoro should present the country's energy plan, as it would at least be honest. The irony, of course, is that in Cuba, humor remains the only service that hasn’t experienced blackouts.
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