Are We Really a 'Distinguished Province'? Outrage Erupts Over 70-Hour Blackouts in Matanzas

An official report released on Monday regarding the ongoing electricity crisis in Matanzas has sparked a wave of outrage across social media platforms. Many Cubans expressed a shared contradiction: the province was recently labeled as "Distinguished" by the regime, yet residents have endured power outages exceeding 70 hours in some areas.

The state-run publication, Periódico Girón, painted a "complex picture": eight electrical substations are out of service, and 63 transformers have been damaged, some since May, making replacements challenging. According to Kenny Cruz González, the technical deputy director of the Provincial Electric Company, four substations—Lagunilla, Carbonera, Fine, and Bolondrón—are experiencing technical failures, while another four—Mexico, Gratitud, Manuelito, and San Joaquín—cannot function due to the theft of dielectric oil, a critical cooling fluid for transformers that is sold on the black market as agricultural fuel.

Residents from areas like Unión de Reyes, Perico, Jovellanos, Pedro Betancourt, Agramonte, Los Arabos, Máximo Gómez, and Santa Marta reported power cuts lasting 88, 90, 92, and even up to 96 consecutive hours.

Awarded Yet Struggling: The Ironic Honor

The central theme of nearly all comments was the sarcastic reaction to the official recognition. Just three days prior, the first secretary of the Communist Party in Matanzas, Mario Sabines Lorenzo, had enthusiastically announced that the province had achieved the status of "Distinguished Province" in the competition commemorating the 73rd anniversary of the Moncada Barracks attack.

One user remarked, "And this is the most distinguished province, we're the laughingstock of the world." Another was more blunt: "Sure, distinguished in enduring hardships." A third summed up the collective sentiment: "We are distinguished in blackouts and garbage piling up on every corner, in shortages of water, medicines, food, ATMs to access our earnings, but above all, we are distinguished in the grand inefficiency of those who claim to lead us."

Irony was echoed in numerous variations: "If this is the distinguished one, I don't want to be in the others," "But aren't we a distinguished province? Seems like there's a need for coherence," "Calling the current situation a 'complex picture' is like calling the sinking of the Titanic a 'minor incident.'

Government Response Falls Short

The provincial authorities' response did little to ease tensions. Rather than announcing solutions to the electrical collapse, Governor Marieta Poey Zamora suggested an alternative for the Family Attention Systems: "We have to make croquettes, hamburgers, fritters... We have children at home on vacation, so we must increase production everywhere." This statement was met with widespread ridicule.

The electrical crisis compounds with other shortages citizens tirelessly listed: over 500 tons of rice remain undistributed due to a lack of fuel for transportation, retirees unable to withdraw pensions because banks lack cash, children from zero to seven years old in Colón have not received milk since January 30, 2026, and charcoal—a cooking alternative—costs between 2,000 and 2,500 pesos per sack.

The paradox of forced banking also drew criticism: authorities demand card payments amid cash shortages, yet almost no establishment accepts card transfers. "What do I do when I have money on my card? Where can I buy my basic needs?" one user questioned.

In his June 27 speech, Sabines Lorenzo himself admitted, "Even though blackouts are very long and the population endures many outages, sometimes totaling 50, 60 hours in some circuits of our province," also acknowledging 18 companies with losses and "very insufficient" export compliance. Nonetheless, he concluded his remarks with cheers for the Revolution and Díaz-Canel.

"Every time they gather, it's to think and analyze, never to solve; it's more of the same," stated another comment that garnered numerous supportive responses.