MADRID, Spain.- The water supply crisis The current drinking crisis in Cuba affects more than 600,000 people across the country, according to figures provided by the regime itself.
According to the president of the Water and Sanitation Business Group, José Antonio Hernández Álvarez, quoted by the official GranmaThe water crisis is affecting several provinces in the country, some of which have more than 30,000 customers without service. Among the hardest hit are Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos and Holguín.
In HavanaThe figure is even more alarming, with more than 130,000 people affected. These official figures underline the seriousness of the problem and how the collapse of essential services is a constant in the lives of Cubans under the regime.
The government has pointed out two main causes for this problem: the breakdown of a significant amount of pumping equipment and the instability of the National Electric Energy System (SEN).
The Electric Union, Hernández Álvarez points out, cannot always protect the circuits that house the water supply equipment, due to the lack of availability of electrical generation and the instability of the SEN. blackoutsan everyday reality in Cuba, not only affect homes and businesses, but also directly impact the ability of water pumping systems to function properly.
Each time a power outage occurs, the restoration of water service is significantly delayed as systems must be pressurized before water can reach its destinations. This process, which can take up to four hours, leaves thousands of people without access to a vital resource for long periods.
In Havana, for example, breakdowns in the pumping equipment in the South Basin have affected municipalities such as Plaza de la Revolución, Centro Habana, Habana Vieja and Diez de Octubre.
Hernández Álvarez tried to soften the situation by assuring that “the population can rest assured that work will not stop, not even on Saturdays and Sundays,” highlighting the support of brigades from other provinces such as Pinar del Río, Mayabeque and Matanzas. However, these explanations only serve to highlight the fragility of the Cuban system, which is not only incapable of offering quick and efficient solutions, but also cannot guarantee the proper maintenance of the essential equipment for the water supply.
Despite the statements of the president of the Water and Sanitation Business Group about the availability of resources and the “continuous work” to resolve the breakdowns, the reality is that the Cuban population continues to suffer the consequences of a failed system. The Cuban regime, more concerned with maintaining a façade of control and stability, has not been able to implement effective solutions to guarantee constant and safe access to water, a basic resource for a dignified life.
