A Cuban woman, Yanexi Vázquez, shared a poignant video on Facebook this Tuesday, expressing her desperation and frustration after enduring over 40 hours without electricity in her neighborhood. Her emotional testimony encapsulates the exhaustion felt by millions in Cuba amid the most severe energy crisis in decades.
The one-minute video, which has garnered more than 535,000 views and over 26,000 reactions, features Vázquez directly confronting the Cuban regime with a question echoing across the island: "I wonder until when, 40-plus hours without power, now it's this deficit, then it's something else, lies, it's all lies."
In her area, as she recounts, electricity is available for barely an hour and a half each day. "What's an hour for? What can a human being accomplish in an hour?" she asks, tearfully.
Growing Discontent and Calls for Change
Vázquez also condemned the government's repressive response and issued a blunt warning to authorities: "Stop sending black beret trucks, stop sending anyone to intimidate the people. Everyone here is tired. But I'm tired of staying silent, I'm tired."
Her declaration comes during one of the most critical days for Cuba's electrical system. On Tuesday, the Electric Union reported that the National Electric System had a capacity of merely 1,180 MW against a demand of 2,780 MW, projecting a maximum shortfall of 2,075 MW during peak hours, sufficient to leave 65% of the country without power.
A transmission line failure between Rente and Santiago de Cuba also plunged the entire province of Granma into darkness.
Underlying Structural Issues
The root causes are deep-seated: 1,203 MW unavailable due to fuel shortages, 106 distributed generation plants out of service, and aging thermoelectric plants with frequent breakdowns.
The Antonio Guiteras power plant, one of the country's most vital, went offline on June 15, escalating the deficit to over 2,085 MW.
Extended blackouts lasting 40 hours or more are not isolated incidents. In Matanzas, outages have reached up to 85 consecutive hours; in Granma, more than 72; in Holguín, only three hours of electricity daily.
On June 20, residents of the Playa municipality reported a 40-hour blackout in their circuit while the block across the street had power, highlighting the unequal distribution of electricity.
Impact on Essential Services and Public Response
The crisis has also disrupted other essential services. ETECSA acknowledged that the outages are leaving mobile phone services inoperative, and on June 21, residents of Havana had to cross the bay tunnel on foot after seven hours without bus service.
Public dissent has escalated from nightly pot-banging protests to the burning of dumpsters and tires in the streets. In May 2026 alone, the Cuban Conflict Observatory recorded 1,311 protests, the highest monthly figure known, with independent media describing June's wave as the largest popular mobilization since July 11, 2021.
The regime has responded with a deployment of special forces, internet cuts in protest areas, and at least 14 documented arrests in Havana since March.
It is precisely this deployment Vázquez refers to at the end of her video, with a phrase that encapsulates the exasperation of a population at its breaking point: "How long will this last? How long will this disrespect continue? Everything is wrong here, everything is wrong. Stop telling lies."
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
What is causing the extended power outages in Cuba?
The power outages in Cuba are primarily due to structural issues, including a lack of fuel, numerous distributed generation plants being out of service, and frequent breakdowns in aging thermoelectric plants.
How have Cuban citizens responded to the ongoing energy crisis?
Cuban citizens have engaged in various forms of protest, from banging pots at night to burning dumpsters and tires in the streets, as a response to the ongoing energy crisis.
What measures has the Cuban government taken in response to protests?
The Cuban government has responded to protests by deploying special forces, cutting internet access in protest areas, and making several arrests, particularly in Havana.