Martha María Montejo, a Cuban journalist now residing in Texas, recently returned from a ten-day trip to Bayamo, where her mother lives. Her experience was stark: out of 240 hours spent on the island, she had electricity for merely 20 hours, amounting to less than 10% of her time there.
Montejo, who makes annual visits to Cuba to see her elderly mother and family, summed up her latest experience with three words: "Sadness, misery, and scarcity."
“Every time I visit, I think it can't get worse than this. Yet, each return proves otherwise, revealing greater levels of deprivation and hardship,” she shared in an interview with Tania Costa.
Rejecting the term "blackouts," Montejo clarified, "I don't see it as a country experiencing blackouts. To me, it's a country without electricity. Blackouts imply a functioning electrical system that occasionally fails, but that's not the case here," she explained.
The Dire Impact of Power Shortages
The last two days of her stay were particularly severe, with over 48 continuous hours without any power. This lack of electricity is compounded by water access issues. Montejo described how Bayamo's water supply relies on electric pumps to draw from wells, delivering barely a trickle every few days, and that water is no longer potable. The situation worsens as this meager flow rarely aligns with the limited hours of available power.
Montejo also highlighted a contradiction in the regime's policies: the government’s push to electrify home kitchens aimed at reducing gas use has ironically increased households' dependency on electricity, worsening the current crisis where power is scarce.
Reflecting a Broader Crisis
Montejo's experience is consistent with verifiable data on the crisis in Granma province. On the day she returned, the Granma Electric Company announced it was producing only a third of the needed power, with circuit 4117 enduring over 45 consecutive hours without service. On May 14, the entire province lost power due to a failure in the Contramaestre-Bayamo line, contributing to a national deficit of 2,174 MW.
The water crisis extends beyond Bayamo. Official Cuban data indicates that nearly three million Cubans face water scarcity without regular access, while about 10 million experience intermittent supply. In May, the hydraulic system operated with just 37% of the necessary fuel for pumping.
During Montejo's stay in Bayamo on June 5, the regime deployed "combatants" to explain the blackouts to the population, a political maneuver in response to a crisis that the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, admitted in May was "severe, critical," and "extremely tense" due to fuel shortages.
"It’s a profound sadness," Montejo concluded, unable to find more fitting words to describe the Cuba she left behind.
Understanding Cuba's Energy and Water Crisis
What was Martha María Montejo's experience regarding electricity in Cuba?
During her ten-day visit to Bayamo, Montejo experienced only 20 hours of electricity, representing less than 10% of her stay.
How does the lack of electricity affect water access in Bayamo?
Bayamo’s water supply relies on electric pumps to draw from wells, and the limited electricity means water is delivered sporadically, every two to three days, and is not potable.
What contradiction did Montejo highlight about the Cuban regime's energy policies?
Montejo pointed out the paradox of the government's electrification program for home kitchens, which increased dependency on electricity, exacerbating the crisis during severe power shortages.