A resident of the Havana neighborhood of San Lázaro, located between Belascoaín and Gervasio, reported in a video the unequal distribution of power outages in Havana by showing how, while his street remained completely dark in the middle of the night, an area just a few blocks away had electricity.
The recording, made at 4:32 in the morning and shared on Facebook by a user identified as Dublon Dublon, shows the contrast between two areas of the capital and directly criticizes the official discourse on equality.
"So much so that they proclaim equality, that in Cuba we are all equal. No, we are not equal," the man states at the beginning of the video.
According to him, the neighbors in his community receive electricity for only two or three hours a day, usually in the morning when most people are out of the house.
"They turn on the power in the morning, just for a little while, two hours when everyone is getting ready for work. Then you come home from work, and there’s no power; you leave for work, and you go without power," he laments.
As he scans the surroundings from his window with the camera, the resident points out that the difference between the two neighborhoods lies in the fact that the neighboring area has an underground electrical network.
"Look at the underground over there, with its current as it should be. But the rest of us don't even have this right," he says while pointing to the illuminated streets one or two blocks away.
In the text that accompanied the publication, he described the difficulties faced daily by hundreds of families in the area.
"Not a day goes by that my children, like those of many who belong to San Lázaro, Belascoaín, and Gervasio, can sleep as any child should," she wrote.
She also explained that the heat causes her baby's milk to spoil and that they can't even access cold water amid the high temperatures.
Criticism of the Government and its Response to the Protests
The Havana resident stated that the authorities do not provide explanations regarding the unequal distribution of electricity service and questioned the regime's response to those who express their discontent.
"The electric company doesn't respond to anything. The Government doesn't respond to anything. Then, afterward, they want to oppress the people. Later, when the people protest, they want to beat them," he denounced.
In one of the most striking moments of the video, he contrasted the two realities that, according to him, coexist in the same city.
"Over there is capitalism, and over here is communism, the communism that solves nothing, that doesn’t work, and has never worked," he stated.
The video concludes with another message that reflects the growing fatigue of many Cubans in the face of the energy crisis.
"The Cuban is tired. The Cuban is no longer afraid. We want to live as human beings, not as animals."
A discomfort that is felt throughout the island
The complaint adds to other videos circulated in recent weeks that question the distribution of electricity in Cuba.
On July 9th, residents of Matanzas reported that the provincial headquarters of the Communist Party kept its air conditioning units running while numerous communities endured up to 87 consecutive hours without electricity. In June, residents of the Playa municipality in Havana also reported blackouts of up to 40 hours and an unequal distribution of electricity. Days later, another Cuban went viral by blasting the regime with a powerful message: "Get out, all of you."
The images arrive in the midst of the worst moment of the energy crisis the country has faced in years. This Wednesday, the Electric Union (UNE) forecasted a deficit of 2,230 megawatts during peak demand hours, against an estimated demand of 3,100 MW, meaning that nearly three-quarters of the national territory could be affected by simultaneous blackouts. Moreover, during July, the National Electric System experienced several failures that further worsened the situation for millions of Cubans.
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