A resident of Havana reported on Monday that her building has been without electricity for five consecutive days following the explosion of a transformer. This situation has left families without water, with spoiled food, and has forced children to sleep on the rooftop due to the intense heat.
The property is located on Ayuntamiento Street, between Lombillo and San Pedro, in the Plaza de la Revolución municipality and just a few blocks from the iconic Havana square.
"We have no water, all the food has spoiled, there's a plague in the hallways. There are neighbors bedridden, children no older than two crying at night. Several neighbors have dengue or are recovering from dengue," denounced Rosa María Rodríguez on Facebook.
The lack of electricity has even forced some children to seek a place to sleep outside their homes. "The children sleeping on the rooftop and having school the next day because the heat is unbearable," he reported.
Rodríguez also stated that residents are facing difficulties in getting the equipment repaired and reported the existence of informal payments to expedite such work.
"If you don't pay, they won't fix the transformer; if you don't take other routes, they won't fix the transformer. The answer is: there are people who have been waiting for 10 days or more, so just wait," he stated.
Similar complaints have emerged in other neighborhoods of the capital. In July, reports surfaced about , and even up to 200 dollars, to obtain the repair or replacement of damaged transformers.
Rodríguez also resorted to irony to describe the contrast he observes from his home, plunged in darkness.
"From my window, I see the Ministry of Agriculture with its lights on... I'm going to find out if there's any swap for one of their offices so I can at least sleep one night and maybe take a shower," he wrote.
The situation occurs amid the severe deterioration of the electrical infrastructure in the capital. In Havana, an average of 25 transformers are damaged daily, although on some days the figure has exceeded 60.
The crisis extends far beyond the capital. The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, admitted on July 30 that there are Cuban communities that have managed to remain without electricity for up to 105 consecutive days.
Meanwhile, the immediate consequences fall on families: lost food, sleepless nights, and homes with children, the sick, and bedridden individuals trying to cope for days without electricity and water.
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