The primary school Máximo Gómez, located in the Dubrocq neighborhood of Versalles, in Matanzas, has been without electricity for over 23 days due to a malfunction of the transformer that supplies the area, according to a report published by Periódico Girón through its citizen complaints section.
The impact not only harms the students from the neighborhood but also affects children who commute from rural communities like San Roque and La Ganadera to attend that school, the only one they have access to.
It was Belkis Almeida Martínez, a resident of the Dubrocq neighborhood, who alerted about the situation through a letter to the provincial newspaper. According to her complaint, the lack of electricity "causes irregularities in the development of the educational process that has just begun."
The Provincial Education Directorate of Matanzas responded to the complaint. Its general director, Ricardo Muñoz Alfonso, confirmed that the school's principal, Neime Carrillo Aragón, "has not ceased her efforts with the Electric Company to resolve the serious issue." He also clarified that on September 16, the educator Gerardo Álvarez, head of the corresponding educational level, visited the institution, indicating that the problem was known both at the municipal and provincial levels.
A substitute transformer was installed, but the solution proved ineffective: due to its lower capacity, it "caused overloads and disconnections of the lines," according to the Periódico Girón. In practice, the problem persists with no date for resolution.
The situation arises at the worst possible time. The 2026-2027 school year began on September 1 amidst an electrical crisis that affected 70% of the national demand, with only 1,000 megawatts available compared to a peak demand of 3,250. The Minister of Education, Naima Ariatne Trujillo Barreto, acknowledged that the start would be under "very difficult" conditions, with shortages of uniforms, materials, and teaching staff.
Matanzas is the province most affected by the power outage in 2026. In September, 91 damaged transformers were reported, along with the theft of over 55,000 liters of dielectric oil, with 43 of the 98 substations impacted and 12 still out of service. Residents from various circuits have reported up to 85 consecutive hours without electricity. Cuba experienced a total of eight nationwide blackouts in 2026, the last one occurring on September 19.
The deterioration of electrical infrastructure directly impacts the education system. In the province itself, a teacher from Sumidero, in the municipality of Limonar, had to conduct classes on her doorstep because the only school building in the town was in ruins.
The newspaper Girón, in closing its note about the Máximo Gómez school, issued a warning that encapsulates the accumulated despair: "Now, it must be a priority for all local authorities to join efforts and take action so that the solution does not end up forgotten."
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