As officials from the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) in Matanzas marked the 65th anniversary of the revolution's socialist character with speeches touting the regime's "achievements," Cubans both on and off the island responded with biting sarcasm and dark humor on social media, turning the official event into a target of widespread criticism.
The gathering took place in Matanzas' Liberty Park, led by Mario Sabines Lorenzo, the first secretary of the Provincial PCC Committee, and was broadcast by the state-run Canal Caribe on YouTube.
During the open forum, Daylín Alfonso Mora, president of the Municipal Assembly of People's Power, declared that "we will continue to defend our country's achievements and keep the revolution alive despite all difficulties."
Flavia Contreras Vega, a journalism student, emphasized that such events reaffirm "the Cuban people's will to defend their achievements," and serve as "a way to honor those who gave their lives at Playa Girón to defend the Cuban revolution and uphold the ideas of the commander-in-chief."
Public Reaction and Sarcastic Responses
The public response was swift and cutting. The question capturing the widespread sentiment was: "What achievements? The charcoal one?" This directly referenced the energy crisis forcing millions of Cubans to cook with charcoal or wood due to the shortages of gas and electricity.
The stark reality behind this sarcasm undermines the official narrative, with daily electricity generation deficits around 1,900 MW during peak hours, blackouts affecting up to 60% of the country simultaneously, and power cuts lasting between 20 to 24 hours a day in many areas.
Estimates suggest that tens of thousands of Cuban households are currently cooking with charcoal, wood, or sawdust. A sack of charcoal can cost between 1,700 and 5,000 Cuban pesos, equivalent to an entire month's salary for a state worker.
Even the country's leader, Miguel Díaz-Canel, implicitly acknowledged the situation's collapse by urging in March to "ensure cooking materials from charcoal to firewood," an admission of the state's inability to provide basic services to its citizens.
Voices of Frustration
Days prior to the Matanzas event, a Cuban woman known as "Azucar Cuba" went viral on Facebook with a video where she asked, "I need you to tell me how many more sacks of charcoal I have to buy. I can't take it anymore. I leave it to you."
Comments on the video followed the same vein. Sandra Claver wrote: "With what I have bought, I could have built a house." Gilberto Valbuena noted: "Charcoal is a luxury; next, it'll be wood if it can be found, but there's still Díaz-Canel's option of using biomass." Georgina Portuondo Aties was more direct: "Nobody can take it anymore."
Discrepancies Between Rhetoric and Reality
The rhetoric surrounding the "achievements of the revolution" has recently clashed with reality. In April, during a parliamentary session at the National Capitol, a Cuban deputy used that exact expression when discussing the 2026 budget, which forecasts a fiscal deficit of 74,500 million pesos and a GDP contraction of up to 7.2%.
Actor and comedian Ulises Toirac also criticized the main event of the 65th anniversary, presided over by Díaz-Canel on April 16 in Havana, calling it a "waste of resources amid increasingly prolonged blackouts."
While the regime continues to celebrate its "achievements," Cuba's education system faces a shortage of over 2,000 teachers in various provinces, and the healthcare sector is plagued with reports of medicine shortages, deteriorating facilities, and a mass exodus of professionals.
Addressing Cuba's Energy and Economic Crisis
What are the current energy challenges facing Cubans?
Cubans are grappling with significant energy challenges, including daily electricity generation deficits of around 1,900 MW during peak hours, resulting in blackouts that affect up to 60% of the nation simultaneously and power cuts lasting 20 to 24 hours in many areas.
How are Cubans coping with cooking amid the energy crisis?
Due to the energy crisis, many Cubans are forced to cook with charcoal, wood, or sawdust. A sack of charcoal can cost between 1,700 and 5,000 Cuban pesos, which is equivalent to a month's salary for a state worker.
What are the economic implications of the current crisis in Cuba?
The economic crisis in Cuba is compounded by a projected fiscal deficit of 74,500 million pesos and a GDP contraction of up to 7.2%. This economic strain is exacerbated by shortages in essential services and resources.