The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant, the largest in Cuba, announced this Sunday on its official Facebook page that it was “online and generating 190 MW,” sharing the news with the hashtag #MatancerosEnVictoria.
The response from the Cubans was not one of relief or celebration, but rather a sharp irony that encapsulates years of accumulated frustration.
“It's in and out and you don't feel anything,” wrote an internet user, in what quickly became the phrase that best captured the collective mood following the announcement.
Other comments echoed skepticism: "Ready to go off the air again in a few hours," "Let's see how long this lasts," "And how does this benefit us???" and "Put a date on it so we don't confuse old news with new" were some of the reactions that flooded the post.
Distrust is historically grounded. La Guiteras, inaugurated in 1988 in Matanzas and with a nominal capacity of between 250 and 330 MW, has accumulated approximately twenty unscheduled outages so far in 2026 and has not received major maintenance since 2010.
The most telling incident occurred on July 17, when the plant synchronized with the National Electric System (SEN) and disconnected from the system just 26 minutes later due to a leak in the boiler. On July 26, it disconnected again due to failures in the economizer and the low-temperature air reheater. On August 4, it reconnected to the SEN amidst the recovery from the seventh national blackout of the year.
It now generates 190 MW, a figure significantly lower than its nominal capacity, which did not go unnoticed by internet users: "Where is it generating to?" asked one. "The people have no idea," quipped another. A third perhaps provided the most graphic diagnosis of the situation: "Please, don’t suffocate it; remember it's an old lady with rouge, and every time she gets attention, the boiler trembles."
There was someone who was even more straightforward with their skepticism: "They're already announcing that it's going to be released. Every time they mention how much it's generating, it's because they're going to take it offline."
The announcement comes at the worst possible moment for the Cuban energy system. This Sunday, the government projected a shortfall of up to 2,193 MW during the peak evening hours, with a mere availability of 1,087 MW against a projected demand of 3,250 MW. On Saturday, the maximum shortfall reached 2,281 MW at 10 PM, with the service compromised for 24 hours.
The national electrical system has completely collapsed seven times in 2026; and on August 4, a historical record of actual power outages was recorded at 2,411 MW. Several units from other plants remain out of service, and the limitations of thermal generation represent hundreds of additional MW in deficit.
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, admitted before the National Assembly at the end of July that there are communities experiencing up to 105 consecutive days without electricity and that "the road is long" to address the crisis, while also acknowledging the lack of fuel to stabilize the system.
Meanwhile, on social media, Cubans continue to mockingly count the minutes of operation of the old thermoelectric plant.
Related videos:
Filed under: