Cubans Face a Dark Summer with Power Outages and Internet Restrictions

As summer approaches, widespread power outages have once again become the norm across Cuba. Nearly half of the country is left in darkness for several hours each day, just as the heat intensifies and social unrest grows. The socialist regime has failed to resolve the ongoing energy crisis; the dilapidated state of power plants, fuel shortages, and lack of investment keep the nation shrouded in darkness. In Havana, blackouts last between 4 to 7 hours daily, while in other provinces, they can stretch up to 20 hours.

Adding to the woes, Cuban telecom company ETECSA has introduced a price hike in May, partially dollarizing internet access. Cubans can now only purchase 6 GB of data for 360 CUP before having to pay with foreign currency. With a minimum wage set at 2,100 CUP, working an entire month is not enough to secure even a few days of basic internet connection.

The consequences are severe. Thousands who relied on their phones for news, education, or communication during power outages now find themselves disconnected. The gap between those who receive financial support from abroad and those who do not is widening into a deep chasm. Many users decry it as a "digital apartheid," forced to choose between food or connectivity.

Anger quickly spread. For the first time in years, university students across various faculties staged coordinated protests, declaring academic strikes and demanding the reversal of the internet price hike. The movement began at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Havana and swiftly spread to other faculties such as Psychology, Philosophy, History, Engineering, and to institutions in provinces like Villa Clara.

While these protests were not as widespread or street-based as those on July 11, 2021, they were significant in their origin within public universities, led by young people who have grown up under the system and are now standing up for their rights. The protest over internet access revealed deeper dissatisfaction tied to daily hardships: no power, no water, no transportation, no food.

Instead of addressing the grievances, the regime insisted that "nothing and no one will interrupt" the academic year. Miguel Díaz-Canel justified the price increase, claiming that without fresh currency, the telecommunications system would collapse. In essence, he acknowledged the state’s financial crisis and shifted the burden onto the citizens. With empty rhetoric, he expressed "regret" over the measure but deemed it "unavoidable," as if the people had a choice.

As 2025 unfolds, the island is witnessing a rapid decline: longer lines, empty stores, widespread blackouts, digital disconnection, censorship, and despair. While the elderly sweat in the dark, the youth lose the few opportunities they once had. Without light, internet, or a future, Cubans are bracing for a summer that will be not just hot but bleak and silent. The regime continues to steal time, rights, and dignity from a populace exhausted by survival.