The harshness of everyday life in Cuba has once again been laid bare in a viral video shared by Instagram user Annie Zúñiga González, a mother of two young children. With a mix of exhaustion, frustration, and even humor, she vividly describes how she endures endless power outages, fuel shortages, spoiled food, and a crisis showing no sign of improvement.
"The truth is far more brutal," she wrote when introducing the video.
"The cries of my children, the inability to cook due to a lack of gas, sleepless nights hoping for a breeze... In the last 48 hours, we've had intermittent electricity for about eight hours, but not once at night," she emphasized.
The footage captures Annie and another young woman trapped in the same cycle of scarcity that has become the norm for millions of Cubans. Annie opens the video with a phrase that starkly sums up the emotional state of a weary nation: "You can't dream in a country where you can't sleep."
Every morning, her first thought is always the same: "Which block is scheduled for today?" referencing the planned outages that are, in reality, unpredictable.
The Central Role of Power Outages
The video provides a glimpse into everyday scenarios, highlighting the extent of Cuba's national deterioration. A friend of Annie's tries and fails to connect to the Internet, as poor connectivity, increasingly widespread, prevents communication with family.
Moments later, the camera reveals another domestic struggle: they can't do laundry because there's no electricity, even though, for the first time in days, water is available.
Private generators, supposedly a solution for a few, prove ineffective as well; they couldn't start it due to the exorbitant gas prices. The refrigerator is another casualty. Opening it, Annie resignedly notes, "The chicken spoiled," a statement reflecting the constant food losses due to ongoing power failures.
Even rechargeable fans haven't been the relief many hoped for. Annie explains they're insufficient for entire blackout periods because there's not enough time to recharge them.
The video concludes with a moment blending humor and suppressed anger: electricity returns briefly, and Annie jubilantly celebrates. Just as quickly, the power cuts out again. "Why did you talk?" her friend scolds, playfully tossing a cushion at her. This scene plays out in countless Cuban homes—a kind of involuntary humor that emerges when exhaustion is too overwhelming for tears.
A National Portrait in the Comments
In just a few days, the video garnered over 44,000 likes, with reactions expressing immediate identification and shared pain. Comments included, "A snapshot of life in Cuba in under a minute," "I don't know whether to laugh or cry; we're living a horror film," and "Sleep is a right we no longer have."
One mother shared that her children ask when the power will go out so they know if they can watch cartoons. "Every day, they eat in the dark, bathe in the dark, and fall asleep during blackouts."
"My two-year-old knows when there's a blackout and cheers when the lights come back," said the video's star. Another user highlighted the accumulated psychological damage: "No sleep, no life, physical and mental torture; Cubans' cortisol levels are sky-high, making us more prone to illnesses."
A Spiraling Crisis Amid Government Silence
Annie Zuñiga's testimony is not isolated; it is part of a growing wave of complaints across the country, where people face more than 20-hour daily blackouts, unaffordable fuel, food that spoils before it can be cooked, and a collapse in basic services that hits children, the elderly, and caregivers hardest.
Meanwhile, the authorities remain silent, offering no real solutions or credible timelines, only repeated explanations and promises that daily life contradicts. Each new blackout, each spoiled meal, and each sleepless night deepens the sense of abandonment and hopelessness among Cubans.
The video serves not only as a vent but also as a direct accusation from a suffocated population and a snapshot of a nation where survival has become the sole routine.
Understanding Cuba's Current Crisis
What are the main issues highlighted in the viral video?
The video highlights chronic power outages, fuel shortages, spoiled food, and a general sense of despair and exhaustion among the Cuban population.
How have Cubans reacted to the ongoing crisis?
Many Cubans have expressed their frustration and exhaustion through social media, with reactions ranging from humor to despair, highlighting the psychological and physical toll of the crisis.
What is the Cuban government's response to the crisis?
The Cuban government has yet to offer a viable solution or timeline for resolving the crisis, providing only repetitive explanations and unfulfilled promises.