In her diary, Irina Pino shares how she copes with prolonged nighttime blackouts in Havana, relying on simple tools and reading to pass the time. She highlights the stark social differences revealed by these power outages, where wealthier families maintain generators while others adapt modestly.
Irina Pino, in a diary entry published on December 28, 2025, details her routine during emergency blackouts in Havana lasting more than five hours. Instead of getting frustrated, she turns on a small lamp and a rechargeable fan with integrated light that illuminates adequately. She uses the lamp like a flashlight in the kitchen to heat food, wash dishes, or prepare something light, as she does not eat late.
Her apartment does not fall into complete darkness thanks to light from the CIMEX building, a state-military institution with a generator. Sometimes, she stands on the balcony with her pet to listen to music or watch videos. Then, she heads to the bedroom, props herself with pillows, and reads books like Dangerous Liaisons, biographies of Sylvia Plath and Katherine Mansfield, or The Scarlet Letter, either in print or on her phone. "It’s curious how someone can become interested in reading when being in the dark more readily invites rest and then sleep," she reflects.
If the blackout drags on, she falls asleep with the fan's breeze. Her neighbors go out to the street, sit in parks to chat, or play dominoes lit by cell phones. Those with more money head to entertainment spots with music and drinks. Pino emphasizes social differences: higher-income families have home generators and private businesses stay open late, while state enterprises close. This paralyzes the country without hope of progress.
