The Cuban Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, recently declared that the government has allocated $1.15 billion to revitalize the National Electric System (SEN). This announcement, however, has incited a wave of criticism on social media amidst persistent power outages affecting the entire nation.
Information released by the Unión Eléctrica (UNE) on Facebook indicates that despite "challenging financial conditions," these funds have facilitated the restoration of 422 megawatts (MW) in distributed generation, surpassing 1,000 MW through this method, along with an additional 228 MW in centralized generation.
The statement also highlights the synchronization of 778 MW via the installation of 41 solar photovoltaic parks, which, according to the UNE, manage to produce over 30% of the country's total generation during peak solar irradiation hours.
Nevertheless, rather than providing reassurance, the announcement triggered an avalanche of critical reactions from citizens questioning the tangible outcomes of this massive investment, especially as some provinces endure blackouts lasting up to 20 hours daily.
"He can claim that a billion dollars were allocated to the system, but as long as the country remains in darkness, we don't care; the solution isn't just talking, it's about fixing the issue and providing electricity," commented a user from Matanzas.
Others openly challenged the correlation between the invested funds and the recovered generation capacity.
"That's a lot of money for so few MW without results. Either there are extra zeros or missing MW. It's impossible to spend $1.8 million per MW, especially on repairs. With that money, we could have started building two new 300 MW thermal plants from scratch for 35 years of operation," commented an ETECSA employee.
Parents, professionals, and other citizens continually express frustration as they experience the energy crisis firsthand.
"Where's the improvement if every day is worse, with fewer hours of electricity? Those thermal plants need to be completely rebuilt. Check where all those millions went: the people remain in darkness, and each year is worse than the last," wrote a concerned mother.
From Havana, a user sarcastically noted, "The investment is evident; every day is a victory of blackouts over the people."
An engineer criticized the official rhetoric: "Stop selling patches as undeniable victories and earn some respect. Every time someone who spends their day in a blackout sees these triumphant reports, their blood understandably boils."
Questions about the effectiveness of the expenditure resonate in other provinces as well. "If we're worse off than in previous years, where is all that investment?" asked a father.
"And the sum of all those MW results in more blackouts than the day before," observed a Camagüey resident.
Some comments employed sarcasm to express their accumulated frustration.
"It's clear they're working hard: we're left without water, electricity, medicine, food… Tremendous work of mass extermination they're doing," wrote another user.
An engineer summarized the sentiment of many: "All those MW, you devoured them!"
These reactions underscore the deep distrust with which large segments of the population view the government's official announcements about the electrical system.
While authorities continue to emphasize investment figures and recovery plans, the everyday experiences of millions of Cubans remain plagued by outages exceeding 20 hours, a lack of clear information, and a growing sense of neglect as the crisis shows no signs of easing.
Cubans React to Government's Energy Investment Claims
Why are Cubans critical of the government's investment in the electric system?
Cubans are critical because despite the claimed $1.15 billion investment, they continue to experience frequent and prolonged power outages, leading them to question the efficiency and transparency of the expenditure.
What improvements were expected from the investment in the National Electric System?
The government claimed that the investment would restore significant megawatts in both distributed and centralized generation and enhance solar energy capacity. However, the expected improvements have not been realized according to public sentiment.
How have citizens expressed their frustration regarding the power outages?
Citizens have taken to social media to criticize the government, using sarcasm and direct comments to express their frustration over continuous blackouts and the perceived inefficacy of the reported investments.