“And what are we supposed to do? To endure? Without water and without current?” Inquired an Internet user to the electric union of Cuba.
Lima, Peru – Electric Union (UNE) forecast for this Sunday August 14 that simultaneous blackouts will reach about 51 % of the national territory, with a generation deficit close to 1,705 megawatts (MW) during the highest consumption hours.
According to the official part, the maximum planned capacity is 1,795 MW, in the face of an estimated demand of 3,500 MW, which would leave an affectation of 1,775 MW in the electrical system. The company indicates that several Thermoelectric units They remain out of service due to maintenance or breakdowns, and that dozens of distributed generation engines remain inactive due to the lack of diesel and fuel.
As usual, the UNE part generated a wave of criticism in social networks, where Cubans expressed their frustration and distrust of official figures and promises.
“Never encouraging news. Those blackouts are ending with this town. And they seems to stay and be more extensive every day,” said a user identified as Yoli Pino.
“Go up or down the affectation in Camagüey is three hours every 24. It is too much,” said the ESDEimi Mendoza Internet.
“And what are we supposed to do?
The crisis, which already extends for more than five years, struggles with the eastern provinces. In territories such as Holguín, Granma and Santiago de Cuba, the blackouts often exceed 14 and up to 20 hours a day, while in Havana the cuts are around 10 am.
This last week has been especially critical on the island due to a new collapse of the national electrical system that left almost the entire island off, the fifth so far from 2025.
The recent Saturday night, a citizen protest took place in the town of Gibara, belonging to the province of Holguín, after the residents spent almost 24 hours without electrical service.
Widespread videos In social networks They show dozens of people marching through the streets in the middle of the dark, including children, raising the voice to the shout of “Put current!” and “freedom.” They also protested for water scarcity. The electric fluid was restored after the manifestations.
The images show the growing discomfort of a population that faces prolonged blackouts since several years, in a context of generalized economic crisis.
