A mother from Camagüey who every day at six in the morning has to light charcoal with nylon and papers to prepare her son's breakfast summarizes in a text shared on Facebook the reality of millions of Cubans.
The account, written by the actress and social activist Daily Fortún Sosa and shared through the podcast "In Their Voices," is a stark portrayal of everyday survival on the Island.
"Here, my day begins by lighting the charcoal with nylon, notebook papers, and lots of blowing, many blows. At six in the morning, bent over the budding embers, with blackened hands, to prepare breakfast for my son," she writes.
Coal, which was once an emergency fuel, has become the norm for millions of Cuban households due to the structural shortage of liquefied gas. A sack can cost up to half a salary: between 3,200 and 5,000 pesos in June 2026, compared to the 900-1,400 pesos it cost in December 2024.
But coal is not always accessible either. "When it rains, you can't even buy coal, because who is going to buy wet coal," notes the author, who turns to pizza as an alternative, though she admits it is—"a luxury I can't afford every day."
Liquefied gas, on the other hand, is unattainable. "It's a privilege. A small cylinder, weighing seven kilos, costs 109 dollars in the provinces. With the dollar at 800 pesos on the street in October 2026, that's 87,200 pesos. According to ONEI, the average salary in the country in 2025 was 6,930 pesos: less than nine dollars a month. One gas cylinder costs more than a year's salary," explains Fortún Sosa.
The Cuban government set new prices for liquefied gas in July, but in the informal market, cylinders reached up to 70,000 pesos in some provinces. In April, more than 834,000 of the 1.7 million registered customers were unable to purchase gas from state distributions.
The testimony also highlights the collapse of the electrical infrastructure. "It's very common to see power poles that are rotting and about to fall. Today I passed by one that was leaning unnaturally, surrounded by garbage that obscured the break at its base. Below, some children were playing," he recounts.
The actress is clear in stating that in Cuba, "only those who have someone outside, someone who lives on the other side of the sea, survive." She explains that this is the only way to receive a food package, buy a little gas cylinder, or obtain medicine.
Finally, the activist refers to the demographic aspect. Cuba has less than 9.5 million inhabitants according to official figures from ONEI, although the demographer Juan Carlos Albizu-Campos estimates that the actual population is around eight million, subtracting those who have emigrated but remain on the records.
"Many leave or dream of leaving. Others of us stay, not for lack of reasons to go: this is our country, and it's not the country that is killing us. There is no one left to live here. However, tomorrow at six, I will set up the coal stove again, I will blow on the embers to prepare my son's breakfast," he concluded.
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