Cuban actor Luis Alberto García took to Facebook this Tuesday to deliver a biting critique of Cuba's ongoing electricity woes, likening the country's thermoelectric plants to multi-entry passports—a luxury many Cuban citizens can only dream of.
"Cuban thermoelectric plants are the envy of many passports held by Cuban men and women. They come with multi-entry and exit visas, valid for the next 20 or 30 years," García quipped on his public profile.
This metaphor sarcastically highlights the frequent disconnections and reconnections of these plants to the National Electric System. The post features an image of a lit candle against a black background, visually underscoring the irony of the island's persistent blackouts.
One of the stand-out comments on the post, by Lilliam Rangel Mesa, encapsulated the public sentiment: "If it weren't so tragic, it would be laughable."
The actor's post came just a day after the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant experienced its 15th outage of the year due to a boiler leak, only three days after being reconnected to the grid.
On that Monday, the national electric system's availability was a meager 995 MW compared to a demand of 2,620 MW, leaving 1,630 MW unserved, as reported by the Electric Union.
For the evening peak, the UNE projected a deficit of 2,085 MW, indirectly acknowledging that a permanent solution is not feasible in the near future.
The Guiteras plant has been devoid of major maintenance since 2010. Its director, Román Pérez Castañeda, admitted in May that the plant requires at least 180 days offline for significant repairs, but "the country's situation still doesn't allow it."
This isn’t the first time García has turned to social media to criticize the energy crisis with sharp wit and irony.
On June 10, he accused the "leaders" of leaving the Cuban people in darkness with only one directive: "Deal with it!"
On June 1, he described a weekend plagued by blackouts as something "specifically designed to register as a dissident," after enduring days with merely two to four hours of electricity daily.
On May 27, he questioned the use of state fuel for political events while the country remained in darkness: "Is there fuel or not? Is gasoline and oil ideological?"
The record for the largest electricity deficit in 2026 was noted on May 14: 2,174 MW, with only 976 MW available against a demand of 3,150 MW, marking the most severe energy crisis in the nation's recent history.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
What is causing the frequent power outages in Cuba?
The frequent power outages in Cuba are primarily due to outdated infrastructure and a lack of significant maintenance on crucial plants like the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant, which has not seen major repairs since 2010.
How has the Cuban government responded to the energy crisis?
The Cuban government has struggled to provide a long-term solution to the energy crisis, often resulting in temporary fixes and frequent outages, as evidenced by the consistent power deficits reported by the Electric Union.
What are the public sentiments regarding the power outages in Cuba?
Public sentiment toward the power outages in Cuba is overwhelmingly negative, with many expressing frustration and irony, as seen in the reactions to Luis Alberto García's social media posts about the crisis.