The province of Matanzas is enduring one of its most severe crises in recent years. Residents face a relentless shortage of potable water, prolonged blackouts lasting over 24 hours, and a surge in viral diseases like dengue and chikungunya, overwhelming local healthcare facilities.
Recent videos circulating on social media reveal distressing scenes of residents from various neighborhoods turning to drains and sewage channels to gather water for cooking, bathing, and cleaning. One such video, shared by @paquitovlogs777 on Instagram, shows a group of people filling buckets and bottles from a contaminated ditch, with others lamenting that "there's no other choice left."
"The water scarcity has become so severe that people are forced to resort to drains for this vital resource," the content creator noted in their viral post, tagged with #Cuba #Today. The health situation is exacerbated by the spread of dengue and chikungunya, affecting hundreds of families. Local doctors, speaking anonymously, report overcrowded hospitals and shortages of fever-reducing medications and serums.
The state-run newspaper Girón acknowledged in August that the prolonged scarcity has given rise to a black market for water, where the price per liter reaches one Cuban peso. For a family of three, meeting basic monthly water needs can cost over 9,000 pesos—an unaffordable amount for most.
Infrastructure Failures and Economic Strain
Access to water has become a luxury due to broken pumping equipment, voltage fluctuations, and constant power outages. Yordanis Mora Sánchez, the director of Engineering at the Empresa de Acueducto y Alcantarillado (EAA), stated that at least a dozen pumps are out of service, with over 60% of issues linked to the lack of electricity.
"A brief stoppage causes a collapse in distribution, and restarting the system requires technical maneuvers to prevent setbacks in the network," explained the official.
A National Crisis
The crisis in Matanzas highlights a national problem of infrastructure and management. In Havana, nearly half a million people also lack stable access to drinking water, while other eastern provinces report blackouts lasting up to 30 hours and similar mosquito-borne disease outbreaks.
Residents in Matanzas claim that local authorities have promised solutions without any visible results. "After the officials came, everything got worse; there's not even water in the hospital," a resident complained to independent media.
Meanwhile, social media is rife with complaints and sarcasm. "And tomorrow they'll call people to greet Díaz-Canel, and they'll all go happily," wrote one user in a viral comment. Others accuse the government of "keeping people busy surviving so they don't have time to protest."
Amid water scarcity, blackouts, and an escalating health crisis, Matanzas starkly reflects the worsening daily life in Cuba. This emblematic province is suffocating under misery and indifference.
Understanding the Crisis in Matanzas
What are the main issues affecting Matanzas currently?
Matanzas is facing severe water shortages, extended blackouts, and a surge in viral diseases such as dengue and chikungunya, leading to overwhelmed healthcare facilities.
How are residents coping with the water crisis?
Residents are resorting to using water from drains and sewage channels for basic needs such as cooking, bathing, and cleaning due to the severe scarcity of potable water.
What are the economic implications of the water shortage in Matanzas?
The water scarcity has led to a black market, where the price per liter can reach one Cuban peso. This makes meeting basic water needs unaffordable for many families.