Over a hundred families residing in a twelve-story building in the El Sandino neighborhood of Santa Clara have endured more than 112 hours without electricity. This outage has simultaneously cut off their water supply, as the building relies on electric pumps for water delivery.
This situation was brought to light by Omar Mena, a rapper from Villa Clara now living in the United States, who shared the plight on Facebook on Tuesday, July 7. By then, the building had been without power for 96 hours, and the blackout has now extended beyond 112 hours.
Mena explained that residents have repeatedly reported the issue, but their pleas have gone unanswered.
"The response is always that it will be resolved shortly. Well, we all know the 'shortly' of the revolution," he commented.
The extended power failure has led to spoiled food and worsened living conditions for those in the building. Without electricity, the pumps are unable to deliver water to the apartments, effectively cutting off the water supply for the entire structure.
"Reports are coming in about food being thrown away because, as a building, it needs pumps for water supply," Mena noted.
The rapper particularly highlighted the plight of the elderly inhabitants and criticized the lack of action from officials.
"Remember, the young can somewhat fend for themselves, but what about the elderly living there? How do they manage these issues? How can you carry a bucket of water up 12 floors without an elevator?" he questioned.
He concluded his post with a direct message to the Santa Clara Government: "Santa Clara Government, stop the mockery."
Recurring Problems with Cuba's Power System
This incident echoes recent events caused by the deteriorating Cuban electrical system. In March, a building in Matanzas was left without power for over 100 hours due to a broken neutral cable. Meanwhile, in June, an overload following a blackout led to explosions and damage in 14 homes in Santa Clara.
In addition to electrical issues, residents have complained about unsanitary conditions in these buildings. On July 5, a resident described the twelve-story buildings in Santa Clara as "dumps," citing problems with mosquitoes, rats, and foul odors, and called for action from Villa Clara's Provincial Health Directorate.
Villa Clara: Among the Hardest Hit Provinces
This situation unfolds amid Cuba's most severe energy crisis in decades. On Monday, July 6, the nation experienced its seventh total collapse of the National Electric System in just 18 months, and the third in 2026, following the shutdown of the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant.
Though the Electric Union announced that the system was reconnected by early Wednesday, blackouts persist due to a massive generation deficit, which exceeds 2,017 MW during peak hours.
In Villa Clara, the situation remains particularly dire. Yadier Ruiz, the provincial Load Dispatch director, informed CMHW radio that on Wednesday, the province had only 50 MW of generation available, sufficient to power just 47 circuits, while 140 secondary outages remain, 115 of which are in Santa Clara. Towns like Ranchuelo and Santo Domingo have been entirely without electricity since Monday's collapse.
The mounting public dissatisfaction over the prolonged blackouts has also manifested in street protests. In the early hours of Wednesday, residents in Alamar and La Hata in Guanabacoa banged pots and pans in protest, and some even set piles of garbage on fire.
Understanding the Impact of Prolonged Blackouts in Cuba
What caused the power outage in the Santa Clara building?
The outage was due to a failure in the electric system that powers the building's water pumps, cutting off both electricity and water supply.
How are residents coping with the lack of water and electricity?
Residents are struggling, especially the elderly, as they cannot use elevators to carry water up 12 floors, and food is spoiling due to the lack of refrigeration.
What is being done to address the power crisis in Villa Clara?
While the Electric Union claims to have reconnected the system, ongoing power shortages and secondary outages persist, with limited generation capacity available in the province.