Cubans Turn Homes into Fortresses Amid Widespread Shortages

An independent journalist, Boris González Arenas, paints a vivid picture of Cuban households in 2026 through an article published on November 11 in Diario de Cuba. Homes have become makeshift units of self-sufficiency, where once-emergency resources like water, fuel, candles, and food now serve as the primary supply for numerous families.

González Arenas recounts his visit to a friend's home in a well-maintained, republican-era neighborhood in Havana, inhabited by a hardworking family. What he discovers is a testament to survival: a solar panel on the terrace linked to a portable power station, makeshift water pumps, electric pots for cooking in the absence of gas, and a small home-run stall to generate income.

The minimal energy setup, including the power station, panel, and a ten-meter cable, cost about $1,120, equivalent to over a million Cuban pesos at the informal exchange rate. This amount is staggering when compared to the minimum wage set in July 2026: 3,210 pesos monthly. González Arenas notes that at this rate, it would take decades for someone earning this wage to save up such a sum.

Electricity is just one of the many shortages. "It's not just a lack of electricity; water, gas, food, and medicine are also scarce," writes the journalist. His host recounts a recent period during which "water was unavailable for 28 days," and at the time of the visit, they had endured 36 hours without power. To draw the sparse water supply from the aqueduct, the father-in-law must extend a pump to the street, a maneuver only feasible because the family generates its own electricity.

Interconnected Crises: Power and Water Shortages

The interdependence between electrical and water shortages is no coincidence: over 80% of Cuban aqueducts rely on electricity for water pumping. According to the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources, by early November, around 2.6 million Cubans experienced water supply disruptions, with more than 60% of these directly attributed to blackouts. In Havana alone, over 536,000 people were affected by the water crisis, with some areas going up to 40 days without water.

The gas situation further complicates matters. Cuba's state-run distribution of liquefied gas is facing a prolonged supply crisis, with documented suspensions since early 2026 in the eastern provinces and supply issues elsewhere. This scarcity has led to the closure of sales points, long waits for consumers, and increased reliance on alternative cooking methods.

Many households have reverted to cooking with charcoal or wood—a bag of which can cost up to 5,000 pesos on the informal market. However, González Arenas' friend has avoided this by using electric pots.

The Escalating Food Crisis

The food crisis adds another layer of hardship. A study from June 2026 estimated that an individual requires about 96,000 pesos monthly to meet basic needs, nearly thirty times the official minimum wage. The Food Monitor Program reported that 96.91% of Cubans faced inadequate food access that year, and a survey from 2025 revealed that 33.9% of households had at least one member who went to bed hungry.

González Arenas also highlights the social aspect of this forced self-reliance: during his visit, his friend stored food for a neighbor, lent spaghetti to an elderly woman, and charged another acquaintance's phone. They discussed "the need to help those in need and the impossibility of doing so on the scale required by overwhelming poverty, as well as the dangers posed by increasing scams and violent acts."

The journalist, who has faced ongoing harassment from the regime, reflects on the challenges of independent journalism in the midst of systemic collapse.

The article concludes with a poignant image encapsulating decades of decline: "The home, once a place of rest, has now become a kind of bunker occupied by someone caught between seeking refuge and gathering strength for the next struggle."