A Cuban woman named Yuliet captured a moment on Tuesday that starkly reflects the everyday struggles in Cuba: just as she returned from grocery shopping, the National Electric System (SEN) collapsed. She shared this experience in a TikTok video, illustrating with raw honesty the challenges faced by Cubans.
"The SEN is down again. This month alone, it's happened three times. What is going on? They cut off electricity across the entire country. The thermoelectric plants stop running. There's no power for days. And I just got back from shopping," Yuliet remarked, blending resignation with a touch of humor as she addressed the camera.
The blackout on Tuesday marked the fifth complete failure of the SEN in 2026, and the third in less than ten days, with previous outages occurring on July 6 and 10. According to the Electric Union (UNE), the immediate cause was the unexpected shutdown of Unit 1 at the Felton thermoelectric plant in Holguín, triggering a sudden frequency oscillation that cascaded through the grid, plunging 9.6 million island residents into darkness.
Yuliet proceeded to show the items she had just purchased: chickpeas, beans, root vegetables like pumpkin, malanga, and pepper, potatoes, bacon, canned ham and cheese, various spices, and a La Guajira malt, a non-alcoholic beverage produced in Artemisa. Her main concern was evident: which items could survive without refrigeration?
"Luckily, I didn't buy many refrigerated things, just a few," she noted, although she expressed concern about the bacon and potatoes. "Oh my God," she exclaimed while holding the bacon package.
Some relief came from the sporadic power supply in her area. "Here, the electricity comes on quite often, relatively speaking. It's three hours on, six hours off. So I have a chance to cook some beans," she explained, highlighting that her neighborhood receives power more frequently compared to other regions.
This wasn't Yuliet's first encounter with such a scenario. In the video's description, she mentioned, "This year, I've lost so much due to spoilage."
Yuliet's story sheds light on one of the less visible but severe impacts of Cuba's energy crisis: widespread spoilage of perishable foods. With temperatures reaching 38°C and power outages averaging 20 to 24 hours daily, food becomes unsafe within just two hours without refrigeration.
On July 10, the country experienced its largest energy deficit, with 2,341 MW unavailable and only 935 MW to meet a demand of 3,100 MW. Regions like Matanzas have endured up to 87 consecutive hours without power in July.
The government's response has been minimal. President Miguel Díaz-Canel called on July 9 to "organize the blackouts better," but announced no concrete measures to boost energy production. In June, the mounting frustration led to 107 documented protests across the island. The SEN was restored on Wednesday at 7:00 AM, as per an official UNE announcement, although scheduled outages resumed immediately.
Understanding Cuba's Power Crisis and Its Impact
What caused the recent power outages in Cuba?
The outages were primarily caused by the unexpected shutdown of Unit 1 at the Felton thermoelectric plant in Holguín, leading to a frequency oscillation that disconnected the entire grid.
How are Cubans coping with frequent power outages?
Cubans like Yuliet are trying to manage by purchasing fewer perishable items and relying on sporadic power availability to preserve food. However, the situation remains challenging with frequent spoilage.
What is the government's response to the power crisis?
The government's response has been limited, with President Díaz-Canel suggesting better organization of blackouts but failing to introduce measures to increase power generation.