No light, no water, no answers: families have endured more than three days without power in the town of Villa Clara

Residents of Zaza, a locality near Placetas in Villa Clara, have been without electricity or drinking water for over 72 hours, with food spoiling and no expected date for the restoration of services.

The blackout began on Wednesday, November 11, at 2:00 PM and continued into this Saturday, according to a report published on Facebook by content creator Ruben Carrillo. Among those affected is a family with two young girls who are facing the uncertainty of not knowing when they will regain basic services, he highlighted.

The lack of electricity also paralyzes the pumping systems, leaving homes without water supply. When residents reached out to inquire about the interruption, they were told that there was a "significant electrical deficit," although they reported that other circuits in the area have had power during those same days.

"Until when will the families of Zaza have to endure these conditions?" Carrillo asked in his post, where he highlighted the toll that the prolonged blackouts take on the daily lives of residents.

Starting November 5, the Electric Company of Villa Clara is implementing a rotation scheme in the early morning that guarantees only six hours of electricity every 10 days per circuit block. The system does not provide for rescheduling the shift when the planned timing is not met.

The unequal distribution of electricity has fueled suspicions of favoritism and irregularities in circuits across the country. In July, the secretary of Organization of the Communist Party, Roberto Morales Ojeda, acknowledged the existence of "improper conduct" in the electric sector, although he limited the issue to "four or five" workers.

The Electric Union forecasted that on Saturday, there would be impacts close to 1,900 MW during peak demand hours, with generation barely covering a third of the country's needs.

The energy crisis has a direct impact on the water supply. The National Institute of Hydraulic Resources attributes two-thirds of the water-related issues to electrical problems. At the beginning of November, 2,681,770 people, equivalent to 34.5% of the Cuban population, were experiencing interruptions in their drinking water service.

In San Francisco de Paula, Havana, residents also reported this Saturday more than a month with barely one hour of electricity per day.

In Santa Clara, a resident reported that half of her block had been without power for over 24 hours due to a fallen cable, without receiving any response from the Electric Company.