As Cuba grapples with a severe energy crisis leading to power outages lasting up to 12 hours daily, the charcoal stove business is making a comeback to help people cook food that was previously prepared using electricity. On Facebook groups in Las Tunas, numerous posts are advertising these stoves, reminiscent of those used during the Special Period in the last decade of the 20th century. Some of these stoves are priced as high as 2500 pesos, according to the buy-sell ads.
Several posts on the social network indicate that the stoves are also being sold for "up to 1200 pesos in Camagüey." In several provinces, the same regime that once mandated the shift to electric cooking has begun selling charcoal after many families complained about having no means to cook during the blackouts. Particularly in eastern Cuban provinces, charcoal has become the go-to solution for the crisis.
Currently, power outages in Cuba exceed 1000 MW daily, which is one-third of the national demand. The government's failure to ensure a stable energy supply has forced citizens to revert to traditional methods of cooking, highlighting the ongoing struggle in the country.