A Cuban mother, known on Facebook as "La Cubana," broke down in tears on camera after discovering that 48 consecutive hours without electricity had spoiled the milk and meat she had saved to feed her children.
"Forty-eight hours without power in Cuba, and this is my face after seeing that both the milk and meat had gone bad," she begins in the video, her voice shaky and her eyes filled with tears.
Though she describes herself as usually upbeat and cheerful, the situation overwhelmed her: "I am a super positive, joyful person and always try to keep a smile for you all, but today, emotion got the best of me."
Her frustration stems not only from the material loss but also from the immense effort required to obtain these foods amid the widespread scarcity across the island.
"There's so much effort and sacrifice involved in putting a meal on the table for our children, and to have it all spoiled overnight is devastating," she laments.
However, she refuses to stay down. "The solution isn't to cry or lament, my love; it's to get up and think about how we'll feed our children," she asserts, adding, "I'm one of those mothers who wipes her tears and moves forward for her kids."
The situation reveals a dual crisis. When electricity finally returned and she attempted to cook rice, there was no water available.
"When I went to cook the rice, my dear, we ran out of water. So now I also have to figure out where to get water to cook the rice," she recounts. Her solution was to visit a friend's house to get "a little bit of water" to prepare the meal.
The video was recorded during Cuba's sixth national blackout of 2026, occurring between August 2 and 3, when the electrical grid collapsed twice in less than 48 hours.
As of August 5, only 108 out of 286 circuits in Havana had been restored—barely 38% of the capital—while in other provinces, power cuts lasted between 20 and over 40 hours daily, with some areas in Holguín enduring more than 70 hours without service.
The loss of food due to lack of refrigeration is not an isolated incident; it is a widespread issue documented throughout the island.
The 2025 National Food Security Survey by the Food Monitor Program, conducted across all 16 provinces, revealed that 48.3% of Cuban households lost food due to lack of refrigeration caused by the blackouts, and 80.4% saw their cooking capabilities affected.
In provinces like Granma, Matanzas, Pinar del Río, and Sancti Spíritus, the number of households experiencing loss of refrigerated foods exceeded 80%.
The impact on family nutrition is equally alarming: 33.9% of surveyed households reported that at least one member went to bed hungry at least once in the 30 days prior to the survey, a 9.3 percentage point increase from 2024.
Such testimonies have become increasingly common on Cuban social media. Other mothers have shared similar experiences of losing hard-earned food, from chicken to beans, in a country where scarcity makes every purchase a challenge.
The electrical crisis, driven by the extreme aging of thermal power plants, fuel shortages, and lack of spare parts, shows no signs of a short-term resolution, and this Friday, blackouts could reach up to 23 hours and 40 minutes in some areas of the country.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cuba's Power Outages
What caused the prolonged power outages in Cuba?
The outages are caused by the extreme aging of thermal power plants, a lack of fuel, and shortages of spare parts, leading to frequent grid collapses.
How have these blackouts affected Cuban families?
Blackouts have led to significant losses of refrigerated food, reducing families' ability to cook and increasing instances of hunger, as reported in national surveys.
What percentage of Cuban households have lost food due to power outages?
According to a national survey, 48.3% of Cuban households have lost food due to lack of refrigeration during blackouts.