A Cuban woman captured a heartbreaking scene on Wednesday that encapsulates the despair of countless families in Havana: children sleeping on the ground of a building entrance at the intersection of Prado and Virtudes, right in the heart of Havana, as the city endured yet another power outage.
Teresa Calderín Elias shared a 36-second video on Facebook, which quickly garnered attention, amassing over 179,000 views and 360 comments within hours.
"Look at this, this is at Prado and Virtudes. This is a disgrace, an embarrassment. Look at the children sleeping on the floor. There's still no electricity," the woman comments as she films the scene, the sound of car horns echoing in the background.
Paseo del Prado, one of the most iconic and tourist-frequented avenues in the capital, has become a symbol of the electrical collapse that the Cuban regime has failed—or refused—to address.
As of Thursday, Cuba is experiencing an electricity generation shortfall of 2,100 MW, with only 1,100 MW available to meet a demand of 3,200 MW, according to the Electric Union's data.
In Havana, power outages average over 30 consecutive hours, and some circuits in Centro Habana have endured more than 28 hours straight without electricity, gas, or water.
Voices of Desperation
Calderín's video is not an isolated incident but part of a wave of testimonies that have gone viral throughout this year.
On Tuesday, content creator Alfredito Fominaya filmed his children sleeping on the ground at 2:27 AM due to the heat and mosquitoes, questioning, "Why do I have to endure this? What we need is freedom. What we need is for the misery to end."
At the end of June, a mother posted a picture of her children sleeping on the floor with the caption "We hold the Guinness record for enduring," which received nearly 18,000 reactions.
Days earlier, a father shared a photo of his two children sleeping all night in a building entrance after more than 24 hours without power, describing the image as a "synonym of helplessness."
Public Outcry and Protests
The desperation has overflowed from social media into the streets: on Tuesday, residents of La Lisa protested outside the municipal PCC headquarters after being without electricity or water for more than 50 hours, chanting, "The people united will never be defeated."
On Wednesday, there were reports of pot-banging protests in El Vedado and a heavy police presence in Havana's Cerro district.
The Cuban Observatory of Conflicts recorded 1,311 protests in May, marking the highest number since July 11, 2021, with pot-banging and barricades in at least 12 Havana municipalities.
Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy admitted that Cuba operated without fuel reserves from December 2025 to May 2026, while the regime continues to demand that the population "resist," a narrative increasingly met with anger by ordinary Cubans.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
What is causing the power outages in Cuba?
Cuba is experiencing power outages due to a significant gap between electricity demand and generation capacity. The island's outdated infrastructure and lack of fuel reserves have compounded the problem.
How are Cubans reacting to the ongoing power crisis?
Many Cubans are expressing their frustration through social media and street protests. The situation has led to public outcry and demonstrations, demanding solutions and freedom from the current hardships.