Cuban actress and broadcaster Laritza Camacho took to Facebook to voice her thoughts on the glaring hypocrisy of the regime: while millions of Cubans endure power outages lasting over 24 hours straight, the ruling elite seems untouched, conveniently blaming the embargo for all the country's woes.
Her post, shared a day after Cuba experienced its fifth nationwide blackout of the year, begins with a point Camacho deems non-negotiable: “The Energy and Mines Minister’s statements circulating on social media may be false... but the blackouts are real and the sacrifices demanded of the people are real…”
In response to the regime's constant scapegoating of the U.S. embargo as the root of the crisis, Camacho poses the unanswered question: “Why doesn’t the embargo impact the lavish lifestyles of the powerful, the free, the negotiators, and the privileged offspring?”
The core of her post is sarcastic yet pointed, aiming to highlight the need for both the government and the public to “mock the embargo” equally. “I think they should give those 'boxes' to the people so we can all mock the embargo,” she writes.
She proposes a satirical trade-off: “You share that secret formula with us, and we can teach you how to cook with charcoal during a blackout.” She dubs this, with irony, “pure 'revolutionary creativity.'”
On Tuesday, July 14, the national electricity system (SEN) collapsed again due to the shutdown of Unit 1 at the Felton thermoelectric plant in Holguín, leaving around 9.6 million people without power. This marks the tenth total blackout in 24 months.
Camacho’s reflection this Wednesday adds to a series of critical posts she has maintained for weeks. On July 11, she boldly stated: “I am against the Cuban government because the Cuban government is against Cuba. Nothing works in my country.”
On June 22, she challenged the regime’s egalitarian rhetoric by asking a question that still lacks an official answer: “Why do those who promote 'sharing poverty equally' become increasingly wealthy?”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz blamed the blackouts on the embargo, mentioning a possible “genocide,” and Díaz-Canel called on July 10 to “better organize the blackouts” without announcing any structural measures to boost power generation.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
What is causing the frequent blackouts in Cuba?
The frequent blackouts in Cuba are primarily caused by the collapse of the national electricity system, exacerbated by the failure of key thermoelectric plants like the Felton plant in Holguín.
How does the Cuban government explain the energy crisis?
The Cuban government attributes the energy crisis to the U.S. embargo, often citing it as the reason for the nation's economic struggles and infrastructure failures.
What are some criticisms of the Cuban government's handling of the crisis?
Critics, including figures like Laritza Camacho, argue that the government's failure to address the root causes and implement structural changes exacerbates the crisis, while the elite remain unaffected.