Cuban mothers have raised their voices on social media to describe the summer of 2026 as the hardest they have ever experienced, marked by a devastating combination of historic blackouts, extreme heat, food shortages, and skyrocketing prices that have hit homes with young children particularly hard.
A post in the "Madres Cubanas Luchadoras" group garnered hundreds of reactions and comments in just a few days, mostly from women who reached the same conclusion: "This summer was a struggle with the electricity, water, and food, beyond words."
Another user summed it up in two words: "Sure, no options."
The backdrop is an unprecedented electrical crisis. The energy crisis was compounded by a collapse in supply. The Minister of Food Industry himself admitted in June that throughout the year, oil, chicken, and yogurt had not been able to be delivered due to the rationing booklet. In August, a liter of oil cost between 3,000 and 7,000 Cuban pesos and a carton of 30 eggs ranged between 3,000 and 4,000 pesos. Yordelis Aliaga Tamayo, from Alquízar, stated bluntly: "We are going to end up eating grass."
With the start of the 2026-2027 school year set for September 1, several mothers warned that they would not send their children to classes if there was no electricity, drinking water, or guaranteed food in the schools.
The children's phrases became the most painful symbol of the summer: "Mom, I'm bored" and "Mom, I'm hungry," repeated over and over during a vacation with no power or options. Dayana García summed it up with bitter irony: "We hold the Guinness Record for endurance."
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