On Wednesday, Cuban photographer Mikely Arencibia Pantoja shared a thought-provoking post on Facebook titled "Normalizing the Abnormal," accompanied by an evocative photograph. The image captures three individuals playing dominoes during a power outage, their faces lit solely by the glow of a mobile phone flashlight.
In his post, the photographer meticulously describes how the ongoing crisis gradually ceases to be perceived as extraordinary: "Some things slowly stop feeling unusual. Not because they've become normal, but because they happen too often."
Arencibia highlights power outages as the most evident sign of this collective resignation: "One day, you realize you no longer count the hours without electricity. Instead, you simply arrange your life around them."
He also notes how this forced adaptation leaves its mark on everyday language. The question "When's our blackout?" he writes, "shows that it's become part of us, embedded in our daily routine... because now it’s 'our turn.'
The reflection extends beyond just electricity. Arencibia explains how the crisis shapes even the simplest desires: "You learn to buy less, wait longer, half-sleep... to adjust even your simplest wishes. You live life almost asking for permission, as if this were a rehearsal and you had another chance after death."
The most unsettling part of his reflection captures the core of the issue: "The hardest thing isn't the scarcity. It's when your soul adapts to avoid suffering, because while adapting helps you survive, it can also make you blind to what's truly missing."
This post appeared just two days after Cuba experienced another complete collapse of its National Electric System, marking the third such failure in 2026 and the seventh over the past 18 months.
This year alone, some regions have endured up to 72 hours straight without power, and on May 14, the electricity deficit hit a record 2,174 MW.
Arencibia is no stranger to using social media to document the population's exhaustion. On July 3, he published "Surviving 24 Hours in Cuba," asserting that "no people should have to reinvent themselves every 24 hours."
His observations are supported by expert analysis. Psychologist Roxanne Castellanos Cabrera warned last Sunday that aggression is becoming normalized in Cuba "as a way of managing life," pointing to a moral collapse that transcends visible violence.
A study in the May 2026 issue of Social Science & Medicine found that 55.4% of Cuban adults suffer from severe extreme depression, 66% from severe anxiety, and 65.8% from extreme stress, levels comparable to those in war-torn areas.
Compounding the energy crisis is a food emergency: 33.9% of Cuban households report recent hunger, and 79.4% allocate over 80% of their income to food purchases, according to United Nations data from May 2026.
Despite all these challenges, Arencibia concludes his reflection by acknowledging the quiet resilience of the Cuban people: "Yet, people persist: they work, care, solve problems, share what little they have... as if maintaining everyday life is a silent act of resistance."
Understanding Cuba's Ongoing Crisis
What prompted Mikely Arencibia Pantoja's reflection on crisis normalization?
Arencibia was inspired by the frequent power outages and the way they have become a normalized part of daily life in Cuba, prompting him to share his insights on Facebook.
How does the Cuban population cope with the ongoing crisis?
Cubans adapt by organizing their lives around power outages, buying less, waiting longer, and adjusting their simplest desires to manage the crisis.
What are the psychological impacts of the crisis on Cuban society?
The crisis has led to severe levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among the Cuban population, as highlighted by recent studies comparing these levels to those in war-torn regions.