The Electric Union (UNE) published a message on Facebook this weekend about the ongoing repairs at the Antonio Guiteras Thermal Power Plant in Matanzas, describing the facility as "the largest and most efficient unit block in Cuba."
The rating sparked a wave of mockery and sarcasm among Cubans who follow the state organization's page. The post informed that welding brigades are working on two continuous fronts to repair damages in the economizer and the low-temperature reheater, with the replacement of 11 tube segments.
The UNE estimated that repairs would be completed by this Sunday and noted that, barring any setbacks, the unit could contribute around 190 MW to the National Electric Power System.
The malfunction that prompted the announcement occurred on Tuesday, when a leak in the economizer of the boiler forced the plant to be disconnected from the national grid, just five days after it had been synchronized on October 9, contributing around 180 MW.
That pattern —brief entry, new failure, partial repair— has repeated itself at least 17 times so far in 2026, according to the plant's history.
It was precisely that history that turned the word "efficient" into the target of comments. "Please, someone explain the meaning of 'efficient' to me. I'm in urgent need," wrote one user. Another echoed the sentiment: "It seems to me that you don't know the meaning of the word 'efficient'."
A Cuban chose irony: "With so many repairs, it must be almost new. It's the same story every week." A woman was more graphic: "Efficient and has more patches than an old work pair of pants." And there was someone who called it directly "a fossil."
Other users highlighted the issue of the durability of the repairs. "Tube replacement for five minutes of work when it starts, then it fails again," one warned. Another asked, "But didn't they already change that last time? It doesn't make any sense."
One of them offered perhaps the most bleak diagnosis: "La Guiteras was efficient in its time. It is already showing the last beats of its heart. Day by day it is losing vitality, and the day will come, not too far off, when it will no longer work."
Meanwhile, several users reported prolonged power outages in their homes. "It's noticeable. I've been without power for 25 hours," wrote one person. Some asked, not expecting an optimistic response, how many days the plant would be online this time.
La Guiteras has been in operation for over 38 years since it was launched in 1988-1989, and its last comprehensive capital maintenance dates back to 2010. A complete repair would require replacing more than 500 tubes and keeping the plant shut down for at least 180 days, something that the authorities have systematically avoided.
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, promised that maintenance would take place by the end of 2025, postponed it in December of that year, and announced it again in April 2026 without a specific date.
The most memorable episode of this year occurred in July, when the Guiteras was only connected to the national system for 26 minutes, which also triggered massive mocking.
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