In the small town of Guatemala, formerly Preston, located in the Mayarí municipality of Holguín, a Cuban resident has taken to Facebook to starkly highlight the dire living conditions faced by the community: no access to potable water, electricity shortages, and a hospital in a deplorable state.
Pedro Lavié, the video's creator, captured his neighbors gathering in the streets to collect water while also showcasing the local hospital, which is missing windows and lacks essential medicines.
"Every single day, the same struggle. We wake up hoping for a water truck or end up paying 2,000 to 4,000 pesos for just two tanks of water," Lavié declares at the beginning of the video, which has garnered over 80,000 views.
The electrical situation is equally dire. According to Lavié, power is available for just two hours every other day.
"This is how we live in Cuba," he laments in the recording.
He directs the camera toward the community hospital, emphasizing its neglect: "Look at our hospital. No windows, no medicines, nothing."
The video paints a vivid picture of numerous residents in the streets, filling up tanks, buckets, and containers with water from a truck they've had to pay for.
"This is Cuba, with no electricity, no water, no communication. It's the complete and utter misery of a town," Lavié concludes.
What the video reveals is not an isolated incident. On June 4th, residents of the area marched to the police station, demanding "We want electricity!" and "We want water!"
Just last Thursday, people in Levisa, another area in Mayarí, took to the streets to protest for the same reasons.
Back in March, the municipality saw protests erupt after enduring up to 51 hours without power.
Holguín's Electric Company admitted in May that they cut power to entire municipalities to prioritize hospitals and government offices, explaining the severe blackouts in communities like Guatemala (Preston).
The connection between power outages and water scarcity is direct: 87% of Cuba's water systems depend on electricity, per UN data, so every power cut also halts water supply.
Nationally, around 2.7 million Cubans lack regular access to clean water, and the hydraulic system operates with just 37% of the necessary fuel to pump water.
The hospital decay shown in the video fits into a broader healthcare crisis documented by the UN and WHO: more than 100,000 patients await surgeries delayed by power outages and supply shortages, including over 11,000 children. Meanwhile, five million people with chronic illnesses experience treatment disruptions.
A recent CubaData survey revealed that 54.2% of respondents encountered significant barriers in obtaining medications, highlighting the collapse of a healthcare system that the regime has long touted as one of its greatest achievements.
Addressing Water and Power Shortages in Cuba
How are water shortages affecting daily life in Holguín?
Residents of Holguín are severely impacted by water shortages, leading them to rely on infrequent and costly water deliveries, as well as enduring long periods without essential resources.
What are the reasons behind the frequent power outages?
The power outages are often due to the government's decision to prioritize electricity for hospitals and government buildings, leaving entire communities without power for extended periods.
What is the impact of these shortages on healthcare?
Healthcare in Cuba is suffering as hospitals face decaying infrastructure, lack of supplies, and frequent power outages, leading to delayed surgeries and disrupted treatments for many patients.