A Havana resident identified as Catherine Gonzalez reported this Tuesday that in the building where she lives, on Calzada 755 between 2 and Paseo, she has been without running water for over 20 days, along with 14 families —including babies, young children, and elderly individuals— who barely managed to collect two buckets when water appeared for a few minutes.
“Look, look, to get water, and nothing, it’s gone, it’s gone, it’s gone, look, no water. We managed to get two buckets. How many of us are here? 14 houses, with little children and with the elderly and adults. The water is gone,” she reported in a brief video.
According to what she said, when the water arrives, it comes in intervals of just five to thirty minutes, which is not enough time for the neighbors to store what they need. “How do I explain to my daughter, who is a baby, that I don’t have enough even to bathe her or cook for her?”, she questioned.
When calling Aguas de La Habana for answers, the family received evasive responses or an explanation that has become tired for Cubans: the blame is on the U.S. embargo. "We called Aguas de La Habana, and they either don't provide explanations or say it's the fault of the blockade," Catherine wrote.
"Tell me what need there is to pay for a truck that costs even in dollars or a tricycle with a small tank for an entire lot at over 10,000 pesos if the State doesn't pay for that. Tell me, how long will this continue?" he added.
In comments, he mentioned that the authorities promised a water truck that never arrived: "For someone with children under a year old, how do you explain that there is neither water for cooking nor drinking?" he insisted.
Other Cubans pointed out that the situation is happening in other places as well. "It's happening the same way in San Miguel del Padrón," wrote a local resident. From Pinar del Río, another commented: "We've lost count, and the supply chain that provides for us seems to have left the country."
The leaders have acknowledged a water crisis of national proportions. As of November 3, the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources reported that 2,681,770 Cubans were affected by supply interruptions across the country —34.5% of the population— with approximately 536,000 of these in Havana. Sixty-six percent of the interruptions are attributed to electrical problems, and twenty-five percent to equipment breakdowns.
The pipes in some areas of Havana have been in use for 60 to 70 years without significant renewal, as acknowledged by Aguas de La Habana itself. Documented extreme cases include 45 days without water in Mulgoba, more than six months in Zamora (Marianao), and almost two years without supply through pipes in Las Margaritas, Santa María del Rosario.
The appointed president Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged on November 4 that the crisis is “real, serious, and complex” and that it cannot be resolved with a speech or a single measure, admitting that it will require significant investments and several years. The government announced the construction of 10 photovoltaic solar parks with a capacity of 200 megawatts for the main supply sources of Havana, with completion expected by August 2027.
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