On Wednesday, a Cuban woman shared a TikTok video showcasing the spoiled rice, mangoes, cassava, and cherries that rotted in her fridge due to power outages. These were meant to feed her and her children that very day.
In the brief 38-second video, TikTok user @la.cubanita621 pans her camera over the ruined food, dismissing any calls for endurance: "Look, for anyone to come and talk to me about revolution, about enduring, about resisting. Resist what?"
She emphasizes that these items were not gifts but the fruits of her labor: "Look at the spoilt mangoes, spoilt cherries. No one gives them. It's hard work."
The video concludes with a desperate warning: "If this continues, it will explode. This. This is beyond words."
In the video's description, she is even more candid in her government criticism: "I curse all those bastards who keep the people in misery," accompanied by hashtags #miseriacuba and #patriayvida.
This testimony comes amid a severe electricity crisis, which on July 1 reported a shortfall of about 2,100 MW, with only 1,100 MW available against a demand of 3,200 MW.
Power cuts stretch between 20 to 30 hours daily in Havana, while Santiago de Cuba and the Isle of Youth receive electricity for just one or two hours a day. In Matanzas, blackouts lasted up to 87 consecutive hours in June.
The breakdown of the cold chain has led to widespread and documented food loss. According to the Food Monitor Program, 47.59% of Cuban households lost refrigerated food due to outages, a figure that exceeds 80% in provinces like Granma, Matanzas, Pinar del Río, and Sancti Spíritus.
The organization warns that the situation in 2026 is "far more alarming" than in 2025, noting that 96.91% of the population lacks adequate food access.
Data reveals that one in three Cuban households had at least one member who went to bed hungry in the past month.
This woman's story is not unique. In June, another woman named Adriela Feito Hernández shared a similar video of spoiled chicken, garnering 55,000 views on Facebook. Such testimonies about the anguish of discarding spoiled food have become a frequent occurrence on social media.
The crisis is rooted in a collapsing thermoelectric infrastructure: 106 distributed generation plants are shut down due to a diesel shortage, accounting for 890 MW lost, and Cuba has gone four months without receiving Venezuelan oil.
The peak electricity deficit for 2026 was recorded on June 25, leaving 70% of the national territory without power simultaneously, with a shortfall reaching 2,208 MW.
Understanding the Cuban Power Crisis and Its Impact on Daily Life
What is causing the power outages in Cuba?
The power outages in Cuba are primarily due to a failing thermoelectric infrastructure and a shortage of diesel. Additionally, the country has not received Venezuelan oil for several months, exacerbating the crisis.
How are power outages affecting Cuban households?
Cuban households are severely affected by power outages, leading to the spoilage of food due to the breakdown of the cold chain. Many families are losing significant amounts of food, with some provinces reporting over 80% of homes affected.
What percentage of the Cuban population lacks adequate food access?
According to reports, 96.91% of the Cuban population does not have sufficient access to food, highlighting the severity of the ongoing crisis.