Mexican senator Gerardo Fernández Noroña, one of the most controversial figures in the ruling Morena party, invited his followers to vacation in Cuba and assured them that tourism services are operating normally, despite the prolonged blackouts and the deep economic crisis affecting the population.
In a video posted on TikTok, recorded on Tuesday from the gardens of the Hotel Nacional de La Habana, the legislator acknowledged the existence of power outages but claimed that these do not affect visitors.
"The tourist services are operating, there are power outages in the country. The tourist services are unaffected; everything is functioning. Transportation is available, you can visit the places," he stated.
Noroña arrived in Cuba on Sunday, August 9, to participate in the activities commemorating the centenary of the birth of dictator Fidel Castro, which is observed this Thursday, August 13. That same day, he plans to return to Mexico to resume his duties in the Senate.
The legislator also presented tourism to the island as a form of solidarity and held Washington responsible for Cuba's economic difficulties.
"It's a way to help by promoting tourism to Cuba, which requires maintaining its economic activity to continue moving forward, despite all the injustices from the United States government," he stated.
"Come, come, take a week. There are hotels at various prices, there are places to eat of different categories as well, and it's a town that is like a brother to us," he added.
A Cuba for tourists amidst blackouts of up to 20 hours
The invitation contrasts with the reality faced by millions of Cubans outside the main tourist enclaves.
The electrical crisis that Noroña summarized with a "there are blackouts" has resulted in 2026 days with deficits exceeding 2,000 MW and vast areas experiencing power cuts for much of the day.
On August 9, the Electric Union forecasted a deficit of 2,280 MW against a demand of 3,300 MW. So far this year, the National Electric System has experienced at least seven total collapses, while in March a nationwide blackout left the country without electricity for almost 30 consecutive hours.
Cuban tourism in free fall
The invitation from the Mexican politician comes at a time when Cuba is experiencing one of its worst tourism crises in decades.
Between January and June 2026, the island received only 387,591 international visitors, a decline of 60.7% compared to the same period the previous year, according to official figures from the National Office of Statistics and Information.
In 2025, the country had concluded the year with only 1.81 million visitors, the worst tourism result in over two decades.
Noroña has been questioned previously in Mexico for the gap between his political discourse of austerity and some of his expenses, including travel in business class, flights on private jets, and a residence valued at around 12 million Mexican pesos.
This time, from the gardens of the Hotel Nacional, the senator presented to his followers a Cuba where tourists can find hotels, restaurants, and services operating despite the power outages. This is a reality very different from that experienced daily by millions of Cubans outside those tourist areas.
During his visit, Noroña also met with Esteban Lazo Hernández and Ana María Mari Machado, the president and vice president of the National Assembly of People’s Power and the Council of State, respectively.
Filed under: