The small town of Cantel, located in the municipality of Cárdenas within the province of Matanzas, has been left without electricity for more than a week. This situation was brought to light by Christian Arbolaez, who used social media to amplify the voices of local residents demanding answers that have yet to come.
This power outage began last Sunday around 2 PM, reportedly due to a transformer explosion at the Humberto Álvarez plant. Residents are not only frustrated by the lack of electricity but also by the institutional silence: "No explanation. Nobody takes responsibility. No information at all," expressed exasperated locals who claim to have reported the issue to various authorities without receiving any response.
The most vulnerable residents, including the elderly, young children, the sick, and diabetics who require refrigeration for food and insulin, are among those most severely affected. Entire families have lost all their stored food due to the lack of refrigeration and are also without water amidst unbearable heat.
Impact on Everyday Life
"Being such a small town, they do whatever they want with us," voiced one angry resident in the post that spread the complaint. Christian Arbolaez's Facebook post titled "They Forgot Cantel Exists!" garnered over 1,200 reactions, highlighting the widespread resonance of this issue among Cubans both on and off the island.
Widespread Electrical Problems in Matanzas
Cantel’s situation is not an isolated incident within the province. According to TV Yumurí, Matanzas is grappling with transformer failures at no fewer than four electrical substations: San Miguel de los Baños, Humberto Álvarez, Perico, and Los Arabos.
Kenny Cruz González, the technical director of the Provincial Electric Company of Matanzas, acknowledged the damages and mentioned they are considering consolidating the circuits of Humberto Álvarez and Cantel at the Santa Marta substation, although he warned this could overload that transformer.
In Perico, the malfunction has persisted for eleven days, and efforts are underway to procure fuel to transport a truck from Artemisa to bring a replacement transformer, illustrating the dire state of the infrastructure.
The Larger Crisis
This situation unfolds amid Cuba’s most severe energy crisis in recent history. On May 11, the country recorded a generation deficit of 1,955 MW, with only 1,245 MW available against a demand of 3,200 MW. Matanzas is one of the hardest-hit provinces, with power outages lasting up to 20 hours daily in some municipalities, affecting approximately 70% of ETECSA customers due to the persistent energy shortages.
This isn't the first time Cárdenas has faced such extreme conditions. In July 2024, the Matanzas Electric Company announced blackout schedules totaling up to 384 hours a month—equivalent to 16 days without power—in blocks across the municipality.
Cuba has experienced at least seven total collapses of its National Electrical System in the past 18 months, the latest occurring on March 16, 2026, while small communities like Cantel remain in darkness, awaiting a solution that the regime appears in no hurry to provide.
Understanding the Electrical Crisis in Cuba
What caused the power outage in Cantel?
The power outage in Cantel was reportedly caused by a transformer explosion at the Humberto Álvarez plant.
How has the power outage affected Cantel residents?
Residents have lost stored food due to lack of refrigeration and are without water in extreme heat, severely impacting vulnerable groups like the elderly and those needing refrigerated medications.
What are the broader implications of the energy crisis in Matanzas?
Matanzas is experiencing transformer failures at multiple substations, contributing to power outages of up to 20 hours daily, affecting a significant portion of the population and highlighting the overall energy shortfall in Cuba.