Neighbor from Gibara Exposes Dire Living Conditions: Over 20 Hours of Daily Blackouts, 20 Days Without Water, and Rampant Price Gouging

On Monday, a resident from Gibara in Holguín province took to Facebook to share an open letter aimed at local authorities, highlighting five simultaneous crises affecting the community. The letter, she claims, echoes the silent suffering of "hundreds of neighbors enduring the same ordeal."

The letter was penned by Esther María and addressed to the First Secretary of the Communist Party, the District Delegate, and the President of the Municipal Assembly of People's Power in Gibara. She demands concrete solutions to what she describes as an untenable situation.

Regarding the power outages, the letter is unequivocal: “Having no electricity for over 20 hours has become normal, and at times, we've gone up to 56 consecutive hours without service.”

Esther María points out that the lack of electricity hampers the preservation of food, charging of phones, and maintaining a minimum level of nighttime security. She calls for a realistic maintenance plan and transparent communication from the authorities.

Water Crisis Deepens

The water situation is equally dire: “More than twenty days without a drop in the pipes. The emergency sources, a resource that should have been sacred, are nearly dry because no one protected them in time,” Esther María writes.

In this void, speculators have set exorbitant prices: “Today, a tank of water costs 3,000 pesos, an absurd amount for someone surviving on a salary that hasn't even been paid.”

This statement points to another major issue raised in the letter: as of July 6, workers in Gibara had yet to receive their salaries for May. “I cannot feed my family, buy medicine, or pay off debt if you don’t ensure timely and proper liquidity,” demands the author.

Economic Collapse and Price Surges

Adding to the energy, water, and wage crises is the collapse of the banking system. According to the letter, “lines at banks are endless, cards don’t connect, and transfers are a dream when there’s no coverage.”

On the food front, Esther María details a drastic price increase: “What cost a hundred pesos yesterday is double or triple today. There’s no control, no regulation, and while you remain silent, hunger grows.”

Gibara’s plight isn’t isolated. On Monday, Cuba faced its third nationwide blackout of the year, with a deficit of 2,165 MW, leaving 71% of the country without power simultaneously, and 11 out of 16 thermal units offline. Holguín is one of the hardest-hit provinces, with just 70 MW for a demand of 240 MW, translating to only three hours of electricity for every 39 or 40 hours of blackout.

Historical Context of Protests

Gibara has a history of protests over similar issues. In September 2025, dozens of residents took to the streets after more than 24 hours without electricity, chanting “We want electricity!” and “Freedom!” The regime responded with at least seven documented arrests.

In her letter, Esther María identifies herself as a taxpayer and clarifies that she does not write to confront: “I don’t want to be an angry citizen; I want to be a citizen who trusts her leaders. But that trust is built with actions, not empty promises.”

The closing of the letter encapsulates the community's desperate state: “Gibara is my home, but today it hurts to live here. Desperation is palpable at every corner, and the silence from the authorities only amplifies the void.”