While Cienfuegos endures prolonged blackouts and widespread shortages, local authorities are organizing the 2026 Popular Festivals dedicated this year to the centenary of the dictator Fidel Castro (1926-2026), featuring night concerts from August 14 to 16 in the city's Plaza de Actos.
The official newspaper 5 de Septiembre acknowledged this Saturday that the festivities "are occurring in the midst of the current limitations," a phrase that euphemistically summarizes the reality faced by the people of Cienfuegos.
The celebrations kicked off on Friday with a parade featuring the Príncipes de la Caridad troupe through the streets of Prado and San Fernando, followed by the Giros entertainment company, the Cienfuegos Folkloric Group, and the Son Star ensemble.
This Saturday, the program continues with Arte Mixto from Cienfuegos at 10:00 p.m. and Eyeife at 1:00 a.m. on Sunday.
The closing event will take place on Sunday featuring the singer-songwriter Waldo Mendoza at 8:00 p.m. and La Máquina del Centro with Son del Sur at 11:00 p.m., as specified by the press office of the Communist Party in the central province.
The backdrop is an unprecedented energy crisis with power outages exceeding 24 hours in several areas and ongoing partial and total disconnections of the National Electroenergetic System.
The province of Cienfuegos itself has been the epicenter of several of the worst episodes of the crisis. At the end of July, a truck crashed into the Vietnam Substation in Aguada de Pasajeros, leaving more than 9,000 customers without service.
Days later, a simultaneous shot at the electric lines from Matanzas to Cienfuegos and Santa Clara caused the division of the national system and affected five western provinces.
The celebrations in Cienfuegos follow a pattern that has been repeated throughout the summer. In June, the San Juan Camagüeyano was celebrated with bonfires and parades while the province suffered from severe power outages and the national electricity deficit reached a historic record of 2,208 MW.
In July, the announcement that "Santiago dresses for a party" sparked a wave of outrage among citizens who reported power outages lasting up to 20 hours a day.
This weekend, Guantánamo is celebrating its San Joaquín festivities with a program that local authorities themselves acknowledged as being "adapted to the current real conditions of the territory."
The irony is not lost on those living it. "To the people, bread and circus. Well, the bread will have to be changed later on," summarized a user in a comment on social media.
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