Journalist Yirmara Torres Hernández, from Matanzas, shared a video on Facebook depicting water flowing freely down San Gabriel Street at the corner of Salamanca, while she and her neighbors have been deprived of water in their homes for nearly two months.
"San Gabriel is a street where water runs both ways... up when they pump, and down when it spills. And how it spills," Torres Hernández commented in the reel, which has garnered over 28,000 views.
In the footage, recorded in the Los Mangos neighborhood of Matanzas, the journalist directs the camera towards the streaming water and poses a pointed question to those managing the service: "If we don't have water, why has someone shut this off?"
Torres Hernández points out that the issue isn't a lack of fuel or the frequent blackouts—though she admits these are also problematic—but rather poor handling of the water network.
"In our case, it's not a broken motor, nor a shortage of oil and electricity, but a mismanaged valve... a register clogged with dirt."
Witnesses in the neighborhood say a team from Jovellanos Hydrology arrived around two months ago, tampered with a valve, and buried a register under dirt.
Since then, water has completely stopped reaching their homes. "What we do know is that after that team left, not a single drop of water has entered our homes, not even on days when there was electricity and they pumped, but nothing. We get nothing," the journalist reported.
Near the leak, residents have set up their own makeshift tap, where long lines form as people wait to collect water by hand. The pipeline supplying the Pediatric Hospital and the Manuel Ascunce Elementary School tank, which serves almost the entire Los Mangos neighborhood, also runs through this street.
Water Crisis Deepens Amid Broader Issues
The water crisis in Matanzas is deep-rooted and compounded by multiple factors. On May 8, authorities described the epidemiological situation as complex amidst active hepatitis A outbreaks in several municipalities.
According to April 2026 data, of the 518,000 residents in the province receiving piped water, over 29,000 experience constant shortages due to network breakdowns.
The dependency of 87% of the water supply system on the National Electrical System means that every blackout halts water pumping; in Matanzas, power cuts have limited the supply to just two to four hours daily, far below the 16 hours needed.
Added to this are over 90 unrepaired leaks reported in June 2025, with official responses limited to meetings offering no concrete solutions. The only structural measure announced was the projection of a new well, with no start date given.
Torres Hernández, who served as president of the Cuban Journalists Union in Matanzas for seven years before stepping down in February 2023, concluded her complaint with a phrase capturing the city's paradox: "In Matanzas, there's plenty of water, we're surrounded by it, yet more and more residents lack access to it. How ironic."
Understanding Matanzas' Water Woes
What is causing the water shortage in Matanzas?
The water shortage in Matanzas is primarily due to poor management of the water network, compounded by frequent power outages which limit the water supply.
How are residents coping with the lack of water?
Residents have resorted to setting up makeshift taps where they form long lines to collect water manually, highlighting the severity of the situation.
What actions have authorities taken to address the water crisis?
Thus far, the official response has been limited to meetings without substantive solutions, aside from announcing a new well project with no set start date.