"No queremos to cook with charcoal or firewood," wrote the Cuban Juan Luis Vasallo Palomo, known on social media as El Quijote Bayamés, while sharing a video on Facebook in which he questions the blackout schedules in Bayamo, Granma province. His demand is as basic as it is desperate: if they are going to turn on the electricity for just a few hours, at least do it when families need to prepare their meals.
In the recording, Vasallo Palomo criticizes that, based on his experience, the service is restored in the early morning hours when residents are sleeping and cannot take advantage of it for cooking. He urges the Electric Company of Granma to prioritize the early morning hours, around eight or nine o'clock.
“At that hour, you can’t do anything with the power grid,” he laments about the early morning reconnections. The resident of Bayamo ironically questions the electric company, which he refers to as the “great National Vanguard,” and demands that it take into account the actual needs of households.
Without refrigeration and waiting for the power to return
One of the most difficult points in her testimony is the impossibility of preserving food. "We don't save food, we can't, because it spoils," she explains. That's why, when electricity is restored, families need to find what they are going to prepare and cook it right then, without any room to plan meals in advance.
The complainant states that when the situation improves, they can have just over three hours of electricity per day in their area. However, they find it pointless for those few hours to be concentrated in the early morning: "Schedule it for when it’s needed," they insist.
The complaint also pertains to the water supply. Vasallo Palomo explains that many residents rely on an electric pump to bring water to their homes, and when the schedules for the supply of both services do not align, the situation becomes even more challenging. He notes that he can rely on a small plant for that pumping, but he remembers that others do not have that resource.
"I'll leave this as homework for you," he says as he addresses those in charge of organizing the electrical circuits, urging them to consider how those who endure the outages live.
"Electricity is needed 24 hours a day": the reactions
The reel provoked responses from other Cubans who share their discontent, although some went beyond the hours requested. "Brother, the power shouldn't even go out," commented C. F. S.. J. M. S. A. stated that "electricity is needed 24 hours a day" and questioned why it has become normal to have to negotiate the hours of service.
From Havana, M. S. C. responded: “It’s the same here in Havana.” Another user, O. A. P. S., summarized their frustration with a phrase: “We are cavemen.”
This is not the first time that El Quijote Bayamés has made this situation public. In September, CiberCuba reported another complaint from him about the prolonged blackouts in his area and the inability to keep food refrigerated. He had also described the exhaustion caused by the lack of electricity and the rising cost of food.
Cuba begins November with a significant electrical deficit
His testimony coincides with another critical stage of the National Electric System. According to the report from the Electric Union corresponding to Monday, November 2, a shortfall of 1,922 megawatts was predicted during peak demand hours, with an expected availability of only 958 MW and a demand of 2,850 MW. These figures are national forecasts, not a measurement of the circuit where Vasallo Palomo resides.
The CiberCuba Blackouts Observatory monitors official reports and regional updates, while testimonies like this one from a neighbor illustrate the impact of outages on everyday activities such as cooking or obtaining water.
Behind the discussion about whether electricity comes during the day or in the early hours of the morning lies an even more fundamental demand, expressed by those who commented on the video: that electricity ceases to be an exceptional service and is available throughout the day.
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