Outrage in Sancti Spíritus Town Over Week-Long Power Outage

Growing anger and exhaustion have gripped the small community of Jíquima de Peláez in Cabaiguán, Sancti Spíritus. Residents have been enduring over a week without electricity, water, or communication after a lightning strike destroyed the transformer at the local substation. "My town is desperate and overwhelmed," a local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, shared with CiberCuba, urging those in charge to address the situation immediately.

The town, much like the rest of Cuba, is home to children, the elderly, and cancer patients, many of whom are bedridden, living in extreme poverty and ill-equipped to cope with a power outage of this scale. Without refrigeration, food has spoiled, homes remain in darkness, and the lack of water pumping exacerbates daily life. The frustration is evident in the messages sent to our newsroom. "If the power isn't restored, an uproar will arise... a cry that will shake, with it, Cuba will speak," wrote one neighbor in a poem, turning personal grief into a collective demand against indifference.

"We feel abandoned. Not a single official stops by, even for a moment, to see our needs and deprivations," lamented the same resident.

Unfulfilled Promises and Institutional Neglect

Although a local official announced days ago that a transformer sent from Havana would resolve the issue affecting nearly three thousand people, the power has yet to be restored. Residents report that the installed equipment failed to work, and the Electric Company offers no concrete timelines or immediate solutions.

Their frustration is compounded by the fact that this isn't the first occurrence. In May, the very same Electric Company of Sancti Spíritus reported a similar incident at the Jíquima de Peláez substation, underscoring that this is not an isolated event, but a recurring, poorly managed issue.