The well-known Cuban actress Tahimí Alvariño recently expressed her deep frustration after enduring six days without electricity in Havana. She publicly criticized the unbearable conditions faced by families living near Vento Street in the Cerro municipality. Through a powerful Facebook post, Alvariño depicted the dire circumstances of the community, where the ongoing power outage has severely disrupted daily life, nearly a week after Hurricane Rafael swept through western Cuba.
"It's been six days without power on Vento Street, with two utility poles on the verge of collapse since Wednesday. Thousands of cars pass by, all risking their lives," the actress noted, highlighting the imminent danger posed by these precarious poles that could fall at any moment.
Concerns Over Children's Safety
Alvariño emphasized that one of the unstable poles is alarmingly close to the Ignacio Agramonte Junior High School, raising further concerns about the safety of the children attending the school. This only adds to the anxiety felt by the local community.
The actress detailed the severe hardships faced by residents, including the lack of water, spoiled food due to the power cut, and the absence of immediate solutions from authorities. She declared, "We're without power, without water, without food (because it all spoiled)," underscoring the suffering endured by the affected families.
Demand for Urgent Action
With the seventh day without electricity looming, Alvariño issued a fervent plea for action: "Fix this mess because we can't take it anymore." Her message captures the desperation of Havana's residents and others across the country who are grappling with persistent power outages, leading to mounting frustration and calls for swift solutions.
Despite this, the Havana Electric Company announced on Monday that 95% of the city had regained power, benefiting over 823,000 customers. However, Cerro municipality was conspicuously absent from the list of areas mentioned in the company's statement, which claimed that "restoration efforts continue in municipalities like Playa, La Lisa, Arroyo Naranjo, and Boyeros, where some more complex issues remain."
Discrepancies in Official Reports
Sources close to CiberCuba revealed that even residential areas like Kholy have not had their electricity restored, with crews needing to trim trees to proceed with repairs. Given Alvariño's comments, it's evident that the company's account doesn't quite add up, suggesting there might be more to the story than meets the eye.