A Cuban deputy shook up the ordinary session of the National Assembly of People's Power on Wednesday with an unusually blunt speech regarding the crisis faced by the Cuban people, summarized in an image that has become a symbol of the country's productive collapse: more than 100 tons of mango lost without being able to process them, while Cuba imports juices of extremely poor quality at exorbitant prices.
Emilio Interián Rodríguez, president of the cooperative CCS "Sabino Pupo Milián" and representative for the Havana municipality of Arroyo Naranjo, took the floor before the assembly gathered at the Palace of Conventions in Havana to describe, with specific names and locations, the devastation caused by the energy crisis in daily life and agricultural production.
We have completely lost the mango production, more than 100 tons of mango, a quality mango that we could have exported, that we could have processed, that we could have made the best juice in the world, while today everything we consume in Cuba is imported juice of very poor quality at exorbitant prices,” the deputy denounced.
The phrase that encapsulated the absurdity was straightforward: "We are unable to make a mango juice with all the mangoes we have here and have it be of quality."
Interián was not limited to agriculture. He described a chain of interconnected collapses: power outages of up to 12 hours a day prevent water pumping, leaving entire families without supply for months; without electricity, it is impossible to milk, grind fodder, or perform any tasks on the farm, leading to weight loss in the animals, a decrease in milk production, and general deterioration of the livestock.
"There are families that have told me, 'last night we couldn’t eat, my children couldn't eat.' That is tough, Mr. President," stated the legislator, who has served nearly three decades as a representative of the Popular Power.
The deputy also reported the systematic theft of transformer oil at the supply station in Cotorro, which has occurred several times over a few months, damaging equipment worth thousands of dollars and leaving communities without water for 10, 15, or 20 days.
The context of the session was the worst energy crisis recorded in Cuba. The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, acknowledged before the deputies that there are communities that have gone up to 105 days without electricity.
Interián described the situation as "the hardest years a people has experienced anywhere in the world in the 21st century," and concluded his remarks with a specific proposal: that senior government officials "sponsor" each thermoelectric plant, and that in each province, micro, small, and medium enterprises, entrepreneurs, and producers be called upon to support the workers in the electricity sector with ideas, financing, and food.
"If we need to donate a pig, we will donate it; if we need to donate two pigs, if we need to donate a bull, or if we need to donate a ram, we will help. That's as far as we can go," the deputy offered.
He closed his speech with a statement that encapsulated the weight of what he described: "I propose this, Mr. President, due to the psychological harm this situation is causing to our people."
This is not the first time that Interián has drawn attention within the Cuban parliament.
In December 2025, the deputy had already defended the mipymes and expressed his "great dream" of returning to the agricultural productivity of before the revolution, with unusual phrases in the official discourse such as "let's not be afraid that, by working hard, one can make money like anywhere else in the world."
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