The Isle of Youth's Electric Company has urged residents to trust in their workers amidst increasing public frustration over the prolonged blackouts that have plagued the region for over a week. "To the people of the Isle, have faith in our electrical workers. Together, we will resolve these issues," the company announced on Thursday through a statement shared on social media. They also revealed efforts to enhance local generation capacity by integrating a generator with the MAN 1 plant's machine 3 as part of ongoing maintenance work.
Despite these actions, the situation remains dire. Initially, outages were scheduled in alternating blocks of five hours without power, followed by five hours with electricity. However, most circuits now endure five-hour blackouts with only two to three hours of electricity in between. In areas like Micro 70 and Sierra Caballos, the disruptions have exceeded the planned durations.
Public discontent has erupted into hundreds of comments on social media. The term "in the future," used by the company regarding the potential reconstruction of three damaged generators with Chinese technical advice, has been met with ridicule and skepticism. "Future? Ha, my life has already passed while waiting," one user mocked, while others pointed out that without financial resources, promises will remain "empty words."
The arrival of the G-83 engine—which adds 1.6 MW—was announced as a temporary relief, and work is also being done on the MAN 5 unit and other machines. However, a structural solution hinges on undefined technical and financial conditions, which does little to ease public frustration. "How can they schedule outages from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., and then again from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m.? Who can sleep like that?" asked an outraged mother, highlighting the impact of heat and mosquitoes on the most vulnerable, including young children and the elderly.
The situation has also affected food preparation, with families lacking access to gas unable to even boil milk. The outages began on June 14, following the shutdown of two generating units, exposing the fragility of a system once touted as a model of energy self-sufficiency in Cuba. With a daily demand of 28 MW, the Isle currently produces barely half. This crisis coincided with a visit from leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, undermining the long-held belief that "the power never goes out on the Isle of Youth."
Beyond the physical and psychological toll, the unstable electricity supply also threatens the tourist hub of Cayo Largo del Sur, a government priority for the summer season. This urgency partly explains the presence of reinforcement teams from Sancti Spíritus and the National Maintenance Company for Generating Groups, working tirelessly to restore system stability.
Authorities have vowed to resolve the issue "within no more than eight days," but the population demands tangible results. Symbolic calls for the territory's autonomy and even administrative and energy independence are already circulating online. "This isn't just about the power anymore: it's dengue, food, safety... We're exhausted," wrote one resident. What started as a technical crisis has become yet another symptom of the deep social erosion facing Cuba.
Key Questions on Power Outages in Isle of Youth
What measures is the Electric Company taking to address the outages?
The Electric Company is working on integrating a generator with the MAN 1 plant's machine 3 and has introduced the G-83 engine to provide temporary relief, as part of their maintenance efforts to boost generation capacity.
How are the power outages affecting daily life on the Isle of Youth?
The power outages have disrupted sleep schedules, impacted food preparation due to lack of gas, and heightened public frustration due to the unpredictability of electricity supply.
Why is the Isle of Youth facing a power crisis now?
The crisis began after two generating units went offline, revealing vulnerabilities in a system that previously boasted energy self-sufficiency, now producing only half of the 28 MW daily demand.