A Cuban entrepreneur, known on social media as "Delia and her craziness," shared a video detailing how a power outage in Havana ruined an entire batch of bread, resulting in a loss of 15,000 Cuban pesos. This amount, according to her, was equivalent to "a week's worth of food."
Filmed with flour still on her hands, Delia showed the spoiled dough and explained the predicament: "We started making the dough, and then the power went out. Some bakeries might recycle such dough, but we lack the ingredients to do so. Look here, 15,000 pesos wasted."
In a follow-up video, she recounted how the electricity briefly returned but was cut off again in less than an hour: "They turned the lights on, but it didn't last an hour... then they cut it off. It seems they waited for everyone to head to Boyeros before restoring power."
This sequence of events led her to pose the question highlighted in her posts: "Are they selling our electricity to other people?"
Her final words capture the sentiment of an exhausted population: "Right now, there's more hunger than fear. I'll leave it at that."
After her videos went viral, with the first surpassing 323,000 views, Delia received a flood of supportive messages and offers of financial help from her followers.
She clarified that her goal was never to evoke pity: "My content has never been about seeking sympathy or help. I share it to reveal the reality for entrepreneurs, the setbacks that go unseen, and above all, the resilience we have to rise again and again."
The frustration felt by this Cuban entrepreneur is understandable, as the nation is enduring one of the most severe power crises in recent times.
On Sunday, the National Electric System (SEN) experienced its sixth total shutdown of the year, caused by a simultaneous failure of 220 kV lines between Matanzas, Cienfuegos, and Santa Clara.
On Monday, Cuba suffered another total SEN shutdown when a frequency fluctuation erased the progress made earlier in the day, according to official reports.
In response to the collapse, the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, urged resilience: "We continue working to restore our Electric System, overcoming all challenges, with a total energy blockade, with tremendous effort and commitment."
The impact on private businesses is profound. A February 2026 analysis by the consulting firm Auge found that the fuel crisis threatens 96.4% of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Cuba, meaning 8,904 out of 9,236 registered businesses are at risk.
Understanding Cuba's Power Crisis
What caused the recent power outages in Cuba?
The recent power outages were triggered by a simultaneous failure of 220 kV lines between Matanzas, Cienfuegos, and Santa Clara, leading to a total shutdown of the National Electric System (SEN).
How are Cuban entrepreneurs affected by the power crisis?
Cuban entrepreneurs, like Delia, face significant financial losses due to power outages ruining production batches. The crisis also threatens the survival of 96.4% of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.
What is the Cuban government's response to the electricity crisis?
The Cuban government, represented by the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, has called for resilience, emphasizing efforts to restore the electric system amidst significant challenges.