A Cuban émigré, known on TikTok as Thalía La Cubanita (@thaliamazola), broke down in tears of helplessness as she shared that her mother, who lives in Cuba, asked her to stop sending food because the constant power outages prevent her from keeping the food fresh. The young woman expressed her distress in a video posted on TikTok, where she conveyed her desperation over the situation her family is facing on the island.
Visibly affected, Thalía recounted that she had sent her mother a package with chicken and meat, but received a response that left her heartbroken: her mom asked her not to send any more perishable food for the time being because, without electricity, it would spoil.
The situation provoked a deep sense of helplessness in the young woman, who, despite being outside of Cuba and having the ability to financially support her family, feels that her efforts are insufficient in the face of the challenges her loved ones are facing.
"I'm with my hands tied because I have to continue my life and I have to help her, but even if I help her, she can't buy food; she has no place to put it," she expressed tearfully.
In her outpouring, Thalía also questioned the conditions in which Cubans live, especially those who have to face prolonged power outages that complicate even the most basic daily tasks.
"How long are we going to live like dogs, how long, how long," he lamented, unable to contain his frustration.
The young woman confessed that she needed to share what she was feeling, overwhelmed by worry and the inability to find a solution for her mother. "I don’t know what else to do. She's going to have a heart attack, something is going to happen to her. I have to talk to someone and I have to express what I feel," she added.
His testimony arrives amid a severe energy crisis in Cuba, where power outages last for hours and even days in certain areas. This Thursday, the Electric Union forecasted an availability of only 790 MW against a demand of 2,820 MW, while the day before the maximum impact reached 1,928 MW in the National Electric System.
In some provinces, the situation is particularly difficult. The Electric Company of Cienfuegos acknowledged continuous blackouts lasting between 70 and 89 hours in certain circuits, while in Holguín, interruptions of over 42 hours have been reported.
Given these difficulties, the ways of providing assistance from abroad have also changed. From Miami and other cities, many Cubans have chosen to send non-perishable products, stoves, and equipment to cope with power outages, instead of food that requires refrigeration.
For Thalía, however, the most painful thing is knowing that, although she can send food to her mother, the conditions in Cuba prevent that help from being utilized as she wishes. This reality led her to share her frustration and concern for her family's well-being in tears.
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