The official communicator Pedro Jorge Velázquez, known on social media as "El Necio" (@pejovex), posted a video on Instagram on Friday night celebrating that Havana recorded zero issues due to a shortage of electricity generation capacity.
The regime reported that the alleged improvement was related to the introduction of thermal machines and photovoltaic investments. The event was presented as a sign of recovery in the generation capacity in the capital.
After accumulating more than 12 continuous hours of electricity in his home, El Necio, as a symbolic gesture of the regained "normalcy," turned on the air conditioning in front of the camera.
"You will understand how valuable it is that Cuba is overcoming this oil blockade and that it is making progress through its own efforts. They continue to underestimate a country so small, yet with a great capacity to resist, and they continue to underestimate a people who, when times are toughest, also know best how to rise above and move forward," he said.
"Now, I'm going to turn on the air conditioning. There's power. Havana has zero disruptions in generating capacity. Cuba stands strong against those who want to see it fall," he declared at the end of the reel.
Pedro Jorge Velázquez studied Journalism at the Central University "Marta Abreu" of Las Villas and defines himself as a "militant journalist" who does not believe in neutral journalism. He is a spokesperson for the Cuban regime on social media.
In February 2026, the U.S. imposed visa restrictions on him for his alleged involvement in harassment campaigns against American diplomats in Cuba.
What makes the video particularly striking is that just last August, Velázquez himself acknowledged that living in Cuba had become "radically difficult," describing daily shortages of water, refrigeration, and electricity.
What Velázquez Didn't Tell About Havana
The communicator attributed the improvement to Cuba's "own efforts" in the face of the "oil blockade" and the "total strangulation measures" from Washington, referring to the oil restrictions declared by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
He cited the official journalist Bernardo Espinosa as support for the "good news", although Espinosa himself acknowledged in his Facebook post that there were circuits without power in the capital due to maintenance and breakdowns.
The reality that the video omits is striking. That very Friday, the National Electric System was operating with only 1,300 MW against a forecasted demand of 3,300 MW, resulting in a predicted deficit of 1,970 MW.
The Electric Company of Havana reported at noon 13 circuits and 35 MW affected in the capital. And this is in the province that historically receives preferential treatment in energy distribution compared to the rest of the country.
While Velázquez was turning on the air conditioning, several circuits in Holguín had accumulated between 19 and 21 consecutive hours without electrical service. In Manatí, Las Tunas, a resident reported in a viral video that her community received only one hour and 45 minutes of electricity per day.
The comedian Ulises Toirac summarized citizen skepticism with a widely circulated phrase: "They could install seven new thermoelectric plants next week and have oil flowing through pipelines, and in 15 years, the blackouts will still continue."
Filed under: