Crisis in Havana: A Struggle for Survival

On a tense Sunday night, the lights flickered back to life in Lidia Núñez Gómez’s neighborhood in Havana, marking the first glimmer of electricity since early Friday morning. Seizing the opportunity, she hurried to her electric cooker to salvage the frozen chicken legs and pork that her son had sent from the United States. With meat in short supply and the impending threat of another power outage looming, the urgency to preserve her food was palpable.

Her daughter, Nilza Valdés Núñez, aged 61, expressed her anguish with fury in her voice and tears welling in her eyes. She reflected on the relentless cycle of power outages combined with severe shortages of food and gas. The situation had grown increasingly dire, especially with a hurricane battering the eastern coastline and a four-day blackout that had engulfed the entire country in darkness. In her own words, she described the recent days as “super bad.”

“The lack of electricity, the absence of gas, and all the other overwhelming issues we face here,” Ms. Valdés stated, pausing to wipe away her tears, “make you feel utterly helpless.”

Cuba, a nation long accustomed to various shortages and inconsistent electrical service, now finds itself entrenched in a crisis of unprecedented proportions. Experts warn that the severity of the situation poses a real threat of social unrest, as the frustrations of the population reach a boiling point.