Vicente de la O Levy, Cuba's Minister of Energy and Mines, admitted on Wednesday during a session of the National Assembly that certain communities and settlements have endured up to 105 consecutive days without electricity.
"There are communities and settlements that have been without electricity for as long as 105 days, due to special transformers and circuits that are of the old voltages," Levy explained to the deputies, speaking with a calm demeanor that starkly contrasted with the humanitarian crisis he described.
Addressing the parliament, the minister openly acknowledged that the country is not receiving fuel and that there is no foreseeable change on the horizon.
The remarks were made during the regular session of the Cuban parliament, which was convened to discuss a package of 176 economic reforms across 23 sectors. These reforms include allowing private banking, removing the cap of 100 employees for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and opening up to foreign capital, all while millions of Cubans continue to struggle without electricity, water, or hope.
The minister attributed the extended power outages to damage in old voltage transformers, which are difficult to source internationally, as well as the rampant theft of transformer oil.
"The theft of transformer oil is happening daily, and the amount of oil stolen nearly matches what we produce in the same period," he stated.
What De la O Levy failed to mention is that this theft is itself a sign of desperation: Cubans dismantling industrial infrastructure to survive or sell materials, thereby destroying the network that could restore their power.
On the fuel issue, the minister was equally blunt: "We don't have fuel, and we don't foresee having fuel in the volumes that our economy needs."
He specified that the Cuban economy requires 8 million tons of fuel annually, with half allocated for electricity generation, and added, "We currently receive no fuel, none at all."
For those who might think the regime has some reserves tucked away, De la O Levy was unequivocal: "Some believe there is a small energy reserve to solve something, but that is practically impossible, technically impossible. There is no energy to distribute."
The minister's track record is a litany of broken promises and statements minimizing public suffering. In May 2024, he described blackouts as "bearable," even as the eastern and central parts of the country faced outages of up to 20 hours daily.
By September of the same year, he promised that Cuba would have "at least one minute" of generation without imported fuel in 2025—a promise that remains unfulfilled—and admitted that the government's summer strategy had "failed."
In July 2025, he conceded to the Assembly that the blackouts would continue. By May 2026, he acknowledged the "deep public discontent" and described the situation as "acute and critical." Yet, this Thursday, he again tried to normalize an anomaly as severe as communities in Cuba going without electricity for 105 days.
The statistics underline every word of the collapse. On July 24, the power deficit approached another historic high of 2,315 MW, barely below the maximum of 2,341 MW recorded on July 8.
Throughout this month, the National Electric System suffered at least four total collapses. In Matanzas, blackouts lasted over 87 consecutive hours; in Holguín, circuits were without power for up to 39 hours.
Amid all this, Levy offered a summary of the regime's helplessness with a single phrase: "The path is long, sovereign, and relies on the development of Cuban fuel with national crude and renewables."
Lastly, addressing accusations that outages are not fairly distributed, the minister had another memorable response: "There is no inequality, only mistakes."
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
Why are some Cuban communities without electricity for 105 days?
Communities in Cuba are experiencing prolonged power outages due to damage to old voltage transformers and difficulties in acquiring new ones, compounded by the theft of transformer oil.
What economic reforms is Cuba considering?
Cuba's parliament is discussing 176 economic reforms, including the authorization of private banking, removing the cap on workers for SMEs, and allowing foreign capital investment.
How much fuel does the Cuban economy need annually?
The Cuban economy requires 8 million tons of fuel each year, with half of that amount needed for electricity generation.