As thousands of families in Granma endure nearly two days of continuous power outages, along with water shortages and food spoilage due to lack of refrigeration, the top Communist Party official in the province portrayed the scene of neighbors cooking tamales in the street as a display of "resilience" and "humanitarian spirit."
Yudelkis Ortiz Barceló, the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) in Granma, shared a poetic message on Facebook on Wednesday, describing a neighborhood cooking event in Rosa la Bayamesa, Bayamo, without acknowledging the energy crisis that forced residents to prepare food outdoors.
"In Rosa la Bayamesa, as in hundreds of neighborhoods in Granma, there is no electricity, but there is a flame. A large pot, the kind that holds stories, boils in the street filled with tamales. It is the warm embrace of a neighborhood that does not surrender," she wrote.
Ortiz Barceló further commented, "There is no electricity, but there is a current. The kind that flows from hand to hand, heart to heart," concluding, "The darkness of the blackout pales beside a community that chooses to share what it has."
The Grim Reality Behind the Words
Ortiz Barceló's words starkly contrast with the harsh reality facing the eastern province, heavily impacted by the failing National Electric System. According to data from the Granma Electric Company, the province experienced a 93-megawatt deficit on Wednesday, with only 19 megawatts in service. Several circuits had been without power for nearly 48 consecutive hours.
Jiguaní was among the hardest-hit areas, enduring almost 49 hours without electricity, alongside Media Luna, Yara, and Las Novillas, where outages exceeded 46 hours.
The crisis worsened on Tuesday when the entire province was temporarily disconnected from the National Electric System due to an emergency. Power restoration began partially, with only six circuits active and minimal generation capacity.
Residents Voice Their Struggles
While the communist leader praised neighborly solidarity, many residents expressed a much bleaker reality. "We have no water, and the little food we have is spoiling due to lack of refrigeration. They're destroying the population," a resident from Conil and Bellavista communities shared on social media.
This is not the first instance of Ortiz Barceló using such rhetoric in crisis situations. In November 2025, she described Hurricane Melissa's impact as an "opportunity" and a "moment of upliftment." Recently, she has continued to present economic and production challenges as issues to be met with collective sacrifice and effort.
The post comes just days after authorities initiated political mobilization efforts in Bayamo to explain the causes of the outages to the public. On June 5, members of the Cuban Revolution Fighters Association toured neighborhoods as part of the "Neighborhood for the Homeland" initiative.
Meanwhile, the energy crisis continues to deepen across the country.
For many Cubans, the image of tamales being cooked on the street reflects a reality far removed from the communist leader's description: not a communal choice, but a forced adaptation to a seemingly endless crisis.
Understanding the Energy Crisis in Granma
What is causing the prolonged power outages in Granma?
The prolonged power outages in Granma are primarily due to the deterioration of the National Electric System, which has resulted in significant deficits in electricity supply across the province.
How are residents coping with the lack of electricity?
Residents are adapting by cooking outdoors and sharing resources with neighbors, but they face challenges such as food spoilage and water shortages.
What actions are authorities taking to address the energy crisis?
Authorities have initiated political mobilization efforts to explain the causes of the outages, but tangible solutions to restore consistent electricity supply remain lacking.