Cuban activist Yamilka Lafita, also known on social media as Lara Crofs, shared a harrowing account of the conditions in her neighborhood in Havana this Sunday. After enduring over 20 hours of an uninterrupted blackout, an electrical transformer component, colloquially referred to as a "caballito," exploded and caught fire, plunging her entire block into darkness.
In a Facebook post, Lafita recounted, "After more than 20 hours without power, we heard an explosion, followed by a major short circuit that set the caballito ablaze. The whole block was left in darkness, with the anxiety of knowing the issue might take an indefinite amount of time to resolve. Surviving each passing moment in Cuba is an extreme ordeal."
Accompanying her post was a nighttime photo capturing the transformer pole engulfed in flames: a vivid orange-yellow arc lit up the sky with reddish hues as wires stretched across the dark backdrop.
Widespread Electrical Failures Amid Crisis
The failure of transformers is a critical issue amidst the ongoing crisis of the National Electric System, which has already experienced seven breakdowns in 2026. In Havana, an average of 25 transformers fail daily, with peaks exceeding 60 in a single day, according to July 2026 statistics. These failures are often due to overloading when consumers reconnect devices after prolonged outages.
Comments under Lafita's post indicate that this dire situation is echoed throughout the island. A resident from Santa Clara expressed, "I'm in the same situation here with a fallen phase. Hopefully, service will be restored soon." Another person noted that the Berenguer neighborhood in Boyeros municipality waited five days for a transformer to be installed. A third person summed up the collective exhaustion: "It's overwhelming; it's the sword of Damocles we all face, the transformer explosion being the least of it."
Record-Breaking Energy Crisis
On August 4, 2026, Cuba hit another grim milestone in its energy crisis, recording a shortfall of 2,411 megawatts (MW) due to insufficient generation capacity.
Yamilka Lafita's challenges extend beyond the energy crisis. She is also among the activists harassed by the regime. On April 18, 2026, she was detained in Havana by State Security agents shortly after documenting two individuals monitoring her residence. After her release, she accused the regime of attempting to fabricate charges against her.
In August 2025, she suffered a grade 2 ankle sprain during a forceful arrest by the Revolutionary National Police. Earlier that year, in February, authorities detained her while she was distributing food to the homeless, seizing over 200 thermal packages and 20 liters of gasoline, valued at 70,000 Cuban pesos—approximately $140.
Advocacy Beyond Borders
Days before the transformer incident, Lafita shared new images of Amanda Lemus Ortiz, a young Cuban girl who received a liver transplant in Spain. She directed a message to the Ministry of Public Health: "Do you recognize this beauty waiting for the subway and playing in a ball pit? Share her story so that the Ministry of Public Health in Cuba can see that her life was saved." Cuba currently lacks an active pediatric liver transplant program; in June 2026, a ten-month-old baby died needing such a procedure that was unavailable on the island.
As Lafita waited on Sunday without power and with a burning transformer in front of her home, another Cuban echoed a sentiment felt by many under her post: "Every day I feel a stronger urge to leave. There is no future here."
Understanding Cuba's Energy Challenges
What caused the recent transformer explosion in Havana?
The explosion was caused by the failure of an electrical component known as a "caballito," which caught fire after more than 20 hours of blackout in the area.
How prevalent are electrical transformer failures in Cuba?
In Havana alone, an average of 25 transformers fail each day, with peaks of over 60 failures in a single day, due to overloading when power is restored after outages.
What other challenges does activist Yamilka Lafita face?
Beyond the energy crisis, Yamilka Lafita faces harassment from the Cuban regime, having been detained and accused unfairly, as well as suffering injuries during arrests.