While millions of Cubans are enduring a summer marked by power outages of up to 25 hours a day and collapsed services, Miguel Díaz-Canel toured parks, sports facilities, and a soap factory in Havana on Wednesday during a trip described by the official Cuban presidency as a working visit focused on "recreation and the economy."
The route included the Grand Metropolitan Park of Havana, the Sports Complex at 23 and B in the Plaza municipality, the Technological Palace "Finca de los Monos," the recreational center "Río Cristal" on Rancho Boyeros Avenue, and the Business Unit "Suchel Cetro," a soap factory located in the eastern part of the capital.
At each stop, the official discourse revolved around concepts such as business autonomy, connections with economic actors, and artificial intelligence.
In the soap factory, Díaz-Canel spoke with the director Alexander Puig Varona about expansion strategies, renewable energy sources, and electric mobility.
"We need to be attentive to how we can take advantage of this context of transformations to enhance an industry whose impact on the lives of Cubans is direct," said the leader, according to the official portal.
He was accompanied by Liván Izquierdo Alonso, the first secretary of the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba in Havana, and Yanet Hernández Pérez, the governor of the capital.
The tour is part of a broader itinerary that Díaz-Canel began on June 30, covering the 15 municipalities of the capital, framed within the so-called "Year of Preparation for Defense 2026" and in follow-up to the 176 economic and social transformations approved in June. By the end of July, he had visited 11 of the 15 municipalities, delivering a repeated message: asking local authorities to "better organize the power outages" and to place "the most capable people" in charge of the structures.
The contrast between the official tour and the reality that Cubans live cannot be more severe. Cuba experienced two complete collapses of the electrical system in less than 48 hours between August 2nd and 4th, the sixth and seventh nationwide blackouts of the year, just the day before the tour.
According to reports from Infobae, the island is facing an electrical deficit of up to 2,000 MW during peak consumption times, with power outages lasting between 20 and 25 hours daily in some areas.
The tourism sector, which the regime presents as a driver of economic recovery, is also experiencing its worst moment in years.
Between January and April 2026, Cuba welcomed only 328,608 international tourists, marking a decline of 55.8% compared to the same period in 2025. By the end of July, 73% of hotel facilities were closed, and around 25,000 workers in the sector were on "availability."
In that context, a Cuban doctor went viral on TikTok sharing her experience in Varadero: a vacation that cost 315 dollars which she described as "the worst vacation of my life," with inadequate air conditioning, no hot water, and poor-quality food.
Analysts and independent media have described the concrete outcomes of Díaz-Canel's municipal tours as scarce or merely declarative, while the regime continues to organize visits to parks and factories as a sign of action in the face of a crisis that has been deepening for decades.
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