The People of Manzanillo, Cuba Are Without Light or Hope
as if back in the Stone Age

The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant , largest in the country, went down again this Monday due to a new breakdown.
By Carlos A. Rodriguez (14ymedio)
HAVANA TIMES – “It seems like we’ve gotten used to the blackouts. Now people get up to cook at four in the morning to take advantage of the current, or they buy coal that is scarce and goes up in price due to demand,” Eneida says as she selects some battered bananas in the market.
“Before six they had already turned off the power, so I had to start a fire to make coffee and cook peas. But life at home is not just about cooking. You have to wash and iron clothes and even watch a telenovela. Everything can’t be work, I’ve already done enough,” says the retiree.

Yordanki faces the same difficulties in his daily life, although he must also worry about his family. “Everything has become a problem,” he says. “In the house and on the street we walk like zombies, thinking about what to cook, and with what. This is an abuse. Even if my boys start their homework early, they don’t have daylight for long, even less so for the period of exams. They study with rechargeable lightbulbs and even with cell phones, but in the morning they go to school already tired. And so day after day passes, with no prospects for improvement.”
The blackouts have long ceased to be an event and now are one of the most important daily problems for the Cuban people. The consequences are catastrophic for industry and the economy, whose growth is unfeasible without energy; also for families, the most fragile link in society.
“It’s no longer about whether it’s the Felton or the Guiteras [power plant]. Just yesterday we were without electricity from eight in the morning until dawn today. It’s too much,” Mariela protests. The Matanzas thermoelectric plant, the largest-capacity unit on the Island, left the National Electric System on Sunday morning in an “unforeseen” way. It was synchronized again on Monday night, but before 8 pm, it had suffered another breakdown. “You don’t recover from the shock. My daughter lives in the United States, and my fear is that when there is a blackout, landlines, cell phones and the internet don’t work, so you can’t even communicate with your relatives. What’s
more, the television signals go down and even Radio Granma, so there’s nowhere to find out about anything.”

“Manzanillo is unrecognizable,” says the night watchman of a company. “The city is completely dark. You only see a few public light bulbs at the beginning of the boardwalk and a few others on some streets. That, and in a couple of private businesses. People don’t go out anymore. They hardly even sit on their front steps for fear of being assaulted or having stones thrown at them. You see me here because they still have music in El Castillito, but I’m going to pick myself up just in case. And you should do the same,” he suggests frankly.
Except for a few who can relieve their nights with generators provided by relatives abroad, the people live like they’re back in the Stone Age. In the shadows, February promises to be a long month, too long, although 2025 is not a leap year.
Translated by Regina Anavy for Translating Cuba.
I agree with Moses crime is out control I took a generator inverter down to replace the stolen in gibra last December I had 2 cell phones stolen one by attack I was stabbed with a screwdriver they only got a very small amount of money and a rechargeable flashlight I had a Cuban person help to get my bag by throwing a hammer at him while the police did nothing when yelling for help police I had to go 4 times to do a report as they did not want when did a report about the man attacked me for my cell phone I chased with the help of 2 Cuban people the police car stopped for 3 seconds then continue to drive away allowed the man get away when tried to file a report the police said could not have attacked and or robbed 4 times in 3 weeks and they would deport me until I got the embassy of Canada involved to get emergency services I needed I talked to a foreign business person from India who had over $6000 U S plus other items stolen from his business the police tried to fine him improper business instead catch the people who stole the items I talked many Cuban girls that work in hostel or in cafeteria and have been robbed often beaten up a $50 cell phone and maybe 3000 pesos The Cuban police are not protecting even the tourist now
Originally the Cuban electric grid belonged to foreign investors it was confiscated by Castro without compensation IN Violation of International Law THATS why CUBA has the Embargo and NO parts for maintenance So don’t blame the Americans when You are the culprits!!!!!
Cuba has taken a hard turn for the worse since my last visit. Even my Cuban friends who live off of the thousands of dollars they receive monthly from relatives abroad complain about how much worse things are these days. Even these Cubans must endure blackouts and long lines for fuel. I used to always say that the only way I could live in Cuba is if I had my own car, a solar generator with its own solar panels on my roof and the receipt of monthly care packages. But now it seems that even with those luxuries, day to day life would still suck. Increasingly, crime, at least in a Havana is a problem. Garbage in the streets is also creeping into even better neighborhoods, and gas lines at CUPET gas stations are unavoidable. Seriously, how much longer can this continue?
been going to Cuba since 2008, been about 30x, and the last time in Jan 2025, and going as a tourist you usually have a bit more comfort, but with the power failures, the price increases (Rum 4x increase to 29 USD ) little food at the hotels, nothing to drink except apple juice at meals (as we do not drink alcohol nor does my kid. And no scooters to travel around, literally zero to do for tourists except stay at the hotel. And yet Cuba is the most expensive place to visit in the Caribbean. Cost us $6200 for 7 days 2 adults one child. We use to pay between $1400 and $2100 for 7 days around 2015. And 14 days there is nothing below $7000 to where it use to be $3400 for the same place (Holguin) And on top of that we always come back home not feeling well from the food. So we diehards of Cuba are not going back for the foreseeable future. And yet the Cuban Gov’t is building new Hotels, does not make sense given all that is wrong currently. Oh yeah, don’t forget the RUDE Russians that have no class and walk right in front of you, it’s like the Wild West when the Hotel have Russians staying. They are not like us Canadians, polite and respectful…Time to find a new place to travel
There seems to be a common theme and even when a nonprofit sends a used 3000 watt generator inverter ( and or ) a power block)the duty paid at the airport is a much as the generator costs in Canada to a place that handles medicine from India and Mexico we must run the generator for 30 minutes each 3 hours to save medical supplies and some food items at co op nonprofit store in gibra and have difficult time to get enough gasoline