A Cuban university graduate named Ernesto has emerged as a symbol of a harsh reality faced by countless young individuals on the island: spending years pursuing higher education, only to end up struggling to make a living.
His story, shared in a video by content creator Covers Enoc on Facebook, starkly highlights the failure of a system that the Cuban regime has long boasted about as one of its achievements.
"I have a university degree, five years of college education, and now I'm working as a motorbike taxi driver," Ernesto states candidly on camera, his voice tinged with resignation and sincerity that require no embellishment.
When asked if the situation is tough, Ernesto replies without hesitation: "Yes, it's truly tough." These few words encapsulate the plight of a generation promised a bright future but handed a blackout by the regime.
Ernesto studied at the Central University 'Marta Abreu' of Las Villas (UCLV) in Santa Clara. Instead of practicing his profession, he now navigates the roads of the province, ferrying passengers on his motorbike to make ends meet. However, even this informal job is under threat due to Cuba's crippling energy crisis.
"One of my biggest concerns is the national electricity supply, as it's my livelihood. My job relies on operating my motorbike," Ernesto explains.
The issue is both specific and devastating: frequent power outages, sometimes lasting up to 40 hours, prevent him from charging his vehicle, stripping him of his sole income source.
"I often find myself without the means to charge for the next day to work. It happens frequently," he says.
He's been stranded on the road far from Santa Clara, unable to continue, enduring extreme heat. "Every time I head to Remedios, I get stuck in Taguayabón. I have to cool off in the river just to cope," he recounts.
Ernesto's story is far from unique. Many Cuban graduates turn to informal work because the state fails to provide better opportunities.
A professional with a degree earns between 4,000 and 9,400 Cuban pesos per month, equivalent to a mere eight to twenty dollars on the informal exchange market. In contrast, a self-employed transport worker could make over 30,000 pesos monthly. The stark numbers tell a grim story that the regime is well aware of.
Even Cuba's official media acknowledged in 2023 that "having a university degree in Cuba equates to having nothing."
The Communist Youth admitted the "dissatisfaction of higher education graduates" and revealed that by December 2022, around 800,000 young Cubans were neither studying nor working—almost eight times more than in 2019.
The energy crisis Ernesto describes is forecasted to reach unprecedented levels by 2026.
Cuba is teetering on the brink of an energy abyss, with a generation deficit of up to 1,780 MW. Power outages last over 24 hours in Havana and extend to 50 hours in provinces like Santiago de Cuba.
The energy system has completely collapsed seven times in 18 months. Since November 2025, Cuba stopped receiving Venezuelan crude, and by February 2026, Mexico halted its fuel shipments.
The Energy Minister, Vicente de la O Levy, has conceded that Cuba has "absolutely no fuel, no diesel, just accompanying gas."
The Struggles of Cuban University Graduates
What challenges do Cuban university graduates face in finding employment?
Cuban university graduates often struggle with finding employment in their fields due to the state's inability to provide adequate job opportunities. Many turn to informal jobs to make a living.
How does the energy crisis affect informal work in Cuba?
The energy crisis in Cuba results in frequent power outages, which can disrupt informal work that relies on electricity, such as using electric motorbikes for transportation, impacting the income of many Cubans.