In San Jose de las Lajas, residents gather every night at a small burger stand lit by a generator, seeking light and internet amid prolonged blackouts. The town plunges into darkness for more than ten hours, disrupting daily life. Locals share stories of frustration and adaptation in the face of Cuba's energy crisis.
In San Jose de las Lajas, Mayabeque province, night falls abruptly at eight in the evening due to blackouts lasting more than ten consecutive hours. Since the time change, the town envelops itself in dense darkness, interrupted only by the faint glow of a burger stand on the pedestrian boulevard. The generator rented by a private operator powers two light bulbs and a small freezer, drawing neighbors seeking light, internet connection, or simply company.
David, a 58-year-old resident, arrives by bicycle and recounts: “When I was coming here on my bicycle, I hit a pothole in front of the Cultural Plaza. I almost fell, but when there’s no power this is the only place I can reach my daughter.” He laments the poor connection from the nearby Etecsa tower, despite the recent rate hike. Groups of people congregate: an old man begs for twenty pesos to buy food, a woman teaches her daughter multiplication tables under the dim light, and young people drink Mayabe beer while joking: “We come more for the light than for the beer.”
Samuel, a young man, observes: “This doesn’t feel like a business—it feels like a shelter. The sign says ‘Burger Joint,’ but there’s no bread or burgers. The only things they sell are Mayabe beer, cola, and some cookies.” He criticizes the widespread inefficiency: “Inefficiency is everywhere—in the state and among private people, too.” The clerk explains the generator only covers essentials: “At least this way we can see each other’s faces, even if it’s just in these five or six meters. Everything else in town is dark.” She fears walking home alone in the darkness, recalling a time someone followed her.
The blackouts started at eight in the morning that day, with no signs of return. Electric Company data shows a generation deficit exceeding 1,500 megawatts daily, with outages up to twelve hours in Mayabeque. This mirrors a national pattern: paralyzed domestic life and economic losses for businesses. In municipalities like Güines and San Nicolas, generators fail to keep food refrigerated. Around eleven, the generator shuts off, plunging the city into total silence and complete darkness.