Residents of 2nd, 4th, and 11th streets in the neighborhood of Mariana de la Torre, in Santiago de Cuba, reported this Sunday that they have been without electricity for approximately 48 hours due to a malfunction in the wiring of a high-capacity transformer, according to a report by independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada.
According to the testimonies received by Mayeta Labrada, the transformer cable is said to have broken, and several homes have been without electricity for two days.
The explanation that the Electric Company of Santiago de Cuba would have given to those affected is the alleged lack of the necessary cable to carry out the repair, a justification that the neighbors reject after having waited in vain for 48 hours.
In addition to the delay, residents reported alleged hints of monetary payments to expedite the work. Mayeta Labrada himself clarified that this accusation could not be independently verified, and he demanded that the state-owned company publicly clarify what is happening.
"Meanwhile, behind those windows, there are families who have been waiting for two days for something as basic as a repair," wrote the journalist, who also questioned possible pressures to refrain from publishing certain complaints.
The situation in Mariana de la Torre is part of a much larger problem. This very Sunday, residents of the 18-story buildings in Garzón —the complex known as Centro Urbano Sierra Maestra, located on Victoriano Garzón Avenue— reported nearly 40 hours without electricity. In these towers, the lack of power paralyzes the elevators and water pumping turbines, forcing the elderly, sick, and children to climb up to 18 floors via the stairs and to carry water from the street.
A neighbor from the 10th floor of that complex described the situation starkly: "Here live the elderly, the sick, and children who can't sleep at night. Everything in these buildings is more complicated. It’s heartbreaking in the eyes of God to see how the elderly and children have to climb all these stairs."
The pattern of transformer failures that leave entire communities without electricity for days is recurrent in Santiago de Cuba. In July, residents of Veguita de Galo reported 26 consecutive days without power due to a transformer malfunction; the replacement unit installed by the company exploded in less than two hours of operation. That same month, a 12-story building in Santa Clara was without light or water for over 112 hours due to the same electrical pumping issue.
Local breakdowns add to a structural deficit in the National Electroenergetic System (SEN), which in 2026 has reached critical levels. This Sunday, the SEN reported just 1,010 MW of availability against a projected demand of 3,250 MW, with a maximum forecasted impact of 2,125 MW. Cuba has experienced seven total electrical system collapses this year.
In Santiago de Cuba, the crisis progressively worsened throughout 2026. Since June 15, the local Electric Company reorganized power outages into nine residential blocks, leaving each area with barely one or two hours of electricity per day. Three days later, the company itself acknowledged that it could not even guarantee that minimum.
In light of this situation, Mayeta Labrada concluded her complaint with a direct appeal to the responsible entity: "Come on, Electric Company of Santiago de Cuba: fewer excuses and more solutions. Fix it now."
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