Journalist Criticizes Cuban Electric Company: "The Irony of Cutting Services Instead of Enhancing Them"

In the midst of a particularly severe week for power outages across Cuba, and following the announcement of the synchronization of the Guiteras thermoelectric plant, journalist José Miguel Solís sparked a conversation that extended beyond his usual audience.

Writing for the state-run Radio Rebelde, Solís emphasized that the energy crisis in Matanzas remains not only severe but also lacking in fairness and logic. "In Matanzas, the 130 circuits subject to outages experienced an average of 15 hours and 22 minutes without service, with some reaching up to 23 hours," he noted, highlighting the stark inequality in service distribution.

He criticized the clear lack of equitable rotation: "There's a seven-hour discrepancy, which is undeniably excessive and proves that the rotation system needs improvement." However, it was his parting comment that stirred the most discomfort: "It's the great irony of an electric company to reduce services rather than sustain and expand them."

This pointed message aimed at the UNE and the provincial Electric Company is being interpreted as a direct critique of the energy service management model, remarkable even more so coming from someone associated with the state media.

Later, Solís shared an image of Mafalda on his social media with the quote: "Telling the truth isn't creating hate. If you hate the truth, that's another issue." Many saw this as a response to those who may have criticized him for his outspoken views.

In a nation grappling with blackouts, misinformation, and selective privileges, each dissenting word echoes as an act of resistance, even when emerging from within the system itself.

An Unusual Critic Within Official Circles

This is not the first time Solís, Radio Rebelde's correspondent in Matanzas and often a narrator of UNE's achievements, has veered from the official narrative.

In May 2024, during Mother's Day, he publicly criticized the state-run company for failing to meet its own commitments. That day, Solís eagerly shared UNE's promise that there would be no overnight blackouts, a prediction that quickly fell apart.

When power briefly returned that night, he remarked: "11:02... the lights are back. Tic, tac. Let's see." His skepticism was confirmed when darkness returned shortly after. "Unfortunately, the predictions weren't met," he wrote, visibly disappointed.

A year earlier, in response to a Facebook comment, Solís had posted an even more pointed reflection: "In a year, either things improve, or we dismantle our system. And believe me, the cost will be high. I still have hope."

This history makes Solís an uncomfortable figure within the official media landscape, which rarely acknowledges mistakes, let alone from internal voices. While he does not renounce his institutional alignment, his consistent criticisms, whether subtle or direct, reflect a growing fatigue even among those who have publicly defended the regime's discourse.