A Cuban man named Jose Alberto recently shared a video on Facebook that starkly illustrates the disconnect between the official rhetoric of the regime and the harsh realities faced by millions of Cubans. In the video, he recounts his futile attempt to fetch water with a wheelbarrow, only to return home empty-handed due to power outages that halted the water pumps.
"Look at the struggle we go through just to get water. On top of that, I couldn't collect any because there's no electricity, which means no water pressure. I had to head back home without water, trying to figure out what to do next," he explains in the video.
His testimony takes aim at the government's propaganda. While signs reading "Down with the blockade" are ubiquitous in Cuban streets, workplaces, and public spaces, Jose Alberto directly questions this narrative: "What blockade? Which blockade are they talking about? It's them who have us blocked."
He delivers a stark conclusion: "The biggest blockade we feel is living without water, without electricity, and without basic necessities, while those in power offer excuses instead of solutions."
The scenario he describes is far from unique. According to official Cuban statistics released in May 2026, around 2.7 million people lack regular access to potable water, and about 10 million receive it intermittently, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Structural Challenges in Water and Electricity Supply
The connection between these crises is deeply rooted: approximately 87% of Cuba's water supply system relies on the electrical grid for pumping, meaning every power outage automatically disrupts water delivery.
In Havana, over 500,000 individuals were affected by the water crisis in July 2026, a number that had more than doubled from 200,000 in April.
Jose Alberto's account of enduring more than 15 hours daily without electricity aligns with national data.
On July 10, the electrical shortfall reached a historic high of 2,341 MW, with only 1,000 MW available against a demand of 3,100 MW. In Matanzas, there were reports of blackouts lasting up to 87 continuous hours, and Cuba experienced at least six total collapses of its electrical system in 2026, according to Infobae.
Community Adaptation Amidst Crisis
Meanwhile, citizens are coping as best they can. In Camagüey, residents use wheelbarrows and jugs to gather water from alternative sources.
In Matanzas, cargo tricycles and repurposed baby strollers transport water containers. In August, there were reports of seven-year-old girls carrying jugs alone in Havana, and a Cuban woman reported going nine months without receiving water in her neighborhood.
Amidst this breakdown, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez have publicly blamed the blackouts on the U.S. embargo. However, independent analyses point to internal causes as the main culprits: outdated infrastructure, decades of neglect, and lack of investment in power plants, compounded by reduced fuel supplies from Venezuela.
Jose Alberto's video, which garnered over 3,000 views in just a few hours, reflects the growing frustration on the island that has already manifested in street protests across various Havana neighborhoods during the summer of 2026.
Understanding Cuba's Crisis: Water and Power Issues
What are the main causes of Cuba's water and electricity shortages?
The primary causes are internal and include outdated infrastructure, decades of neglect, and insufficient investment in power plants, exacerbated by a reduction in fuel imports from Venezuela.
How are Cuban citizens coping with the crisis?
Cubans are finding alternative ways to access water, such as using wheelbarrows and jugs to reach distant sources, and repurposing baby strollers for transporting containers of water.