A Cuban woman, Adriela Feito Hernandez, shared a 38-second video on Facebook that encapsulates the harsh reality faced by countless families on the island. In the footage, she walks through deserted streets carrying a spoiled chicken and other perishable items, desperately searching for a place to store them before it's too late.
Adriela's video resonated with many, amassing nearly 55,000 views and over 2,600 reactions, touching a nerve that millions of Cubans feel deeply.
“This is the hard work of my family who aren't even here. While this goes to waste, there are people out there working themselves to the bone just to ensure there's food at home,” Adriela expresses, her voice breaking as she captures the moment.
What pains her the most, as she describes, isn't just the material loss. “No one talks about this. No one speaks of the helplessness that comes from opening a refrigerator and watching everything go to waste. And the worst part is being powerless to stop it.”
“Today it happened to me. I had to rush out, desperately looking for anyone who could help me store it,” she narrates as the camera pans over the empty streets around her.
The Impact of Empty Streets
The desolate streets are telling. “Look at the streets, empty, devoid of people. It's a sadness you can't explain, only see,” Adriela remarks, highlighting another symptom of the crisis: mass emigration that has left entire neighborhoods in Cuba deserted.
Adriela's story is far from unique. In June 2026, Cuba faces one of its worst electrical crises, with power outages often exceeding 20 hours daily in many regions.
Last Friday, the Electric Union reported a meager availability of just 1,030 MW against a demand of 2,590 MW, with 106 distributed generation plants non-operational due to fuel shortages.
Consequences of Prolonged Power Outages
These extended blackouts disrupt the cold chain in households, leading to the loss of the little food families manage to secure.
According to the 2025 Food Security Survey by the Food Monitor Program, conducted across Cuba's 16 provinces, 47.59% of respondents reported losing refrigerated food due to blackouts, and 80.39% said their ability to cook was impacted.
In provinces like Granma, Matanzas, Pinar del Río, and Sancti Spíritus, over 80% of households reported losses of refrigerated food. One in three households had at least one member who went to bed hungry in the past month.
Adriela's plight also highlights the dual tragedy of the Cuban diaspora: those abroad sacrifice to send money, yet those at home can't even preserve the food bought with that money.
By 2026, 96.91% of the Cuban population lacked adequate food supplies, according to recent data.
Recurring Stories of Desperation
This is not an isolated incident on social media. In May, a Cuban woman shared her anguish over discarding spoiled beans under similar circumstances, and on June 6, a father's heartbreaking message to the government lamented that “children don’t even have a glass of milk,” claiming the future in Cuba is “completely dark.”
Adriela concluded her video with a poignant statement: “Here I carry my son's food, my household's, and honestly, this situation defies description.”
Understanding Cuba's Electrical Crisis and Food Security Challenges
What is causing the frequent power outages in Cuba?
Cuba is facing one of its most severe electrical crises due to inadequate power generation capacity and fuel shortages, leading to prolonged blackouts across the country.
How are power outages affecting food security in Cuba?
The power outages are breaking the cold chain, causing refrigerated food to spoil and reducing the ability of families to store and cook food, leading to increased food insecurity.
What percentage of Cuban households reported food losses due to power outages?
According to the 2025 Food Security Survey by the Food Monitor Program, 47.59% of respondents reported losing refrigerated food due to blackouts, with significant impacts on their ability to cook.