"Right now, my thirst outweighs my fear." With this stark statement, 24-year-old Melanie Enamorado, a young mother living in Guanabacoa, Cuba, captured the desperation she and her family feel after enduring approximately 16 days without water access.
The video, shared on Facebook on Sunday, July 19, was recorded just after she breastfed her five-month-old daughter without having had a sip of water all morning. In mere hours, it surpassed 37,000 views, garnered over 3,500 reactions, and attracted hundreds of comments.
"I'll start briefly: down with the Castro dictatorship," she declares at the beginning of the recording, before explaining how the absence of such a basic service has changed her perspective on reality.
"They are filling us with hatred, folks. At least, they're filling me with hatred. And I despise hatred; I'm a peaceful person, a pacifist. I love love, I love peace, but right now, they're instilling hatred... and courage," she asserts.
A Struggle for Basic Needs
The young mother also voices her frustration over the apparent resignation she observes around her.
"Neighbors keep drinking, playing dominoes, playing music... I shouldn't have to go to a cassava house to fetch water. Something so basic... Without water, one can't survive; you'll definitely die," she laments.
Besides highlighting the water scarcity, Melanie revealed that her daughter, who turned five months old on Saturday, has yet to receive two vaccines that should have been administered since she was two months old.
"The country with supposedly the best healthcare in the world. My God," she remarked sarcastically.
A Broader Crisis in Guanabacoa
The young woman's testimony coincides with one of the worst periods of the water crisis in Havana.
On July 17, Aguas de La Habana announced that the pumping station at the Justiz filtration plant in Guanabacoa was out of service due to a breakdown, worsening the water shortage in the municipality.
This situation is part of a much larger problem. Over half a million Havana residents face extended water supply interruptions, and nationwide, nearly three million Cubans lack regular access to water services.
The difficulties are largely due to the collapse of the electrical system. Approximately 87% of the pumping system relies on electricity, and prolonged blackouts and fuel shortages prevent the hydraulic infrastructure from operating effectively.
Guanabacoa is among the hardest-hit municipalities since the rupture of a major 48-inch pipeline in San Miguel del Padrón in February, an issue that compromised supply to large areas in eastern Havana.
Dissent Fueled by Hardships
The crisis has also fueled social unrest.
In recent weeks, Guanabacoa has witnessed several pot-banging protests and neighborhood demonstrations, including those in La Hata on July 8, in Reparto Nalón on July 11—coinciding with the anniversary of the 11J protests—and in Loma de la Pela on July 16 and 17.
It is within this context that Melanie chose to share her plight publicly.
"At 24 years of age, I refuse to accept this reality. I refuse to settle for this, because this is not living. Life is short, and I refuse to hand it over to those who are robbing us of it," she declared.
Before concluding the recording, she made it clear she intends to keep speaking out.
"This is just the beginning. I'm not going to stay quiet about this," she warned.
Understanding the Water Crisis in Havana
Why is there a water crisis in Guanabacoa?
The water crisis in Guanabacoa is largely due to a breakdown at the Justiz filtration plant and the broader collapse of the electrical system, which affects the operation of the water supply infrastructure.
How are residents coping with the water shortage?
Residents like Melanie Enamorado are struggling with the lack of water, expressing frustration and resorting to protests and public outcry to demand action from the authorities.
What are some of the broader implications of the water crisis?
The water crisis contributes to social unrest, affects public health, and highlights the deficiencies in infrastructure and governance within Cuba.