The Basque municipality of Legazpi concluded a solidarity campaign, raising 12,332 euros to contribute to the electrical supply of the William Soler University Pediatric Hospital in Havana, one of the centers for child care in Cuba, which has been affected by the energy crisis happening on the island.
The initiative, called Legazpitik argia Kubara ("From Legazpi, light for Cuba" in Basque), mobilized merchants, hoteliers, sports clubs, the Hotz Legazpi association, and members of the Cuban community residing in that locality in Guipúzcoa for several months, as reported by the organizing group through El Diario Vasco.
The funds have already been transferred to the Euskadi-Cuba association, which is responsible for carrying out the electrification work both at William Soler and at other hospital centers benefited by the project.
"Those of us who launched this humanitarian campaign want to thank Legazpi for their commitment. Those who share in the suffering of others set an example of solidarity," stated the group upon announcing the end of the fundraising effort.
The organizers also assured that they will monitor the distribution of aid. "In the coming months, we will follow up on the progress of the work both at the William Soler University Pediatric Hospital and at the other hospitals being electrified in Cuba," they stated.
The initiative is part of a broader solidarity effort led from the Basque Country to mitigate the impact of prolonged blackouts on healthcare facilities in Cuba.
In April 2026, Euskal Herria-Kuba Ekimena and Euskadi-Cuba launched another campaign to install a photovoltaic solar energy system at the William Soler Hospital polyclinic. The initiative initially raised 180,000 euros in one month and later reached 244,000 euros, thanks to 1,255 donations.
The Havana hospital has become one of the main recipients of these projects due to the impacts caused by the electrical crisis. In October 2025, patients' relatives reported that the center was "completely overwhelmed", with emergency services overloaded, a shortage of staff, and a lack of supplies.
Months later, in March 2026, The New York Times portrayed the impact of the blackouts at the hospital, describing silent rooms during the power outages. The situation persisted in July, when large areas of Havana continued to suffer prolonged electrical service interruptions.
Legazpi has not been the only Spanish municipality to promote such initiatives. In April 2026, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) completed the delivery of 18 photovoltaic systems intended for Cuban health centers. Two months later, several Catalan municipalities approved a joint donation of 20,000 euros for the installation of solar panels in hospitals in Santiago de Cuba.
The campaigns aim to strengthen the operation of healthcare facilities that are particularly vulnerable to power outages, with the goal of ensuring the continuity of essential services for thousands of patients, including children receiving specialized medical care.
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