Cuba's Inability to Produce Mango Juice Highlights Severe Crisis

A Cuban legislator delivered a stark and unprecedented speech during Wednesday's session of the National Assembly of People's Power, vividly illustrating the ongoing crisis affecting the Cuban populace. His remarks centered around a striking example of the nation's production collapse: over 100 tons of mangoes wasted without being processed, while the country imports low-quality, overpriced juices.

Emilio Interián Rodríguez, president of the "Sabino Pupo Milián" cooperative and representative of Havana's Arroyo Naranjo district, addressed the assembly gathered at the Havana Convention Palace. He detailed the havoc wreaked by the energy crisis on daily life and agricultural production, citing specific names and locations.

"We've completely lost our mango production—more than 100 tons of high-quality mangoes that could have been exported or processed into the world's best juice. Instead, everything we consume in Cuba is imported, substandard, and exorbitantly priced," the legislator lamented.

The absurdity was encapsulated in a blunt statement: "We can't even produce a mango juice of quality with all the mangoes we have."

Interián's critique extended beyond agriculture. He outlined a network of interconnected failures: power outages lasting up to 12 hours daily halt water pumping, leaving entire families without supply for months; without electricity, essential farming tasks such as milking, forage milling, and other farm operations cannot be performed, resulting in livestock weight loss, declining milk production, and overall deterioration.

"Families have told me, 'Last night we couldn't eat, my children couldn't eat.' That's hard, Mr. President," declared the legislator, who has served nearly three decades as a delegate of the People's Power.

The lawmaker also condemned the repeated theft of oil from transformers at the Cotorro supply substation, which has occurred multiple times over a few months. This vandalism destroys equipment worth thousands of dollars, leaving communities without water for 10, 15, or even 20 days.

The session took place amid the worst energy crisis recorded in Cuba. Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy admitted to the assembly that some communities have endured up to 105 days without electricity.

Interián described the situation as "the hardest years any people have endured anywhere in the 21st century," and concluded his address with a concrete proposal: government leaders should "sponsor" each thermoelectric plant. In each province, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), entrepreneurs, and producers should be rallied to provide ideas, funding, and food to support the energy sector workers.

"If we need to donate a pig, we'll donate it; if two pigs, a bull, or a ram, we'll contribute whatever we can," the legislator offered.

He concluded with a statement encapsulating the emotional toll of the crisis: "I propose this, Mr. President, because of the psychological harm this situation is causing our people."

This is not the first time Interián has drawn attention in the Cuban parliament.

In December 2025, he had already championed MSMEs, sharing his "great dream" of returning to the pre-revolutionary agricultural productivity, using language uncommon in official discourse, such as "Let's not fear that, through hard work, people make money as they do anywhere else in the world."