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Without electricity, without tourists: Havana residents speculate about their future
🇱🇹 Lithuania /Energy & Infrastructure

Without electricity, without tourists: Havana residents speculate about their future

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

Translated from Lithuanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Havana residents face severe power outages and fuel shortages, leading to dark streets and scarce resources.
  • Many Cubans are resorting to searching through garbage for food or items to sell, with some expressing desperation and a desire to leave the island.
  • The city's once-vibrant tourist spots, like "El Floridita" and "Sloppy Joe's," are now closed, reflecting a significant decline in tourism and economic hardship.

Havana's Malecón promenade, once bustling with cars, is now eerily quiet, with streets plunged into darkness at night due to persistent power outages. Seven months of a U.S. fuel embargo and constant electricity interruptions have left locals joking about watching stars. In the dim light, emaciated men sift through garbage heaps, searching for anything to use or sell. "We dig through the trash looking for something to eat without stealing and without harming anyone," said Manuel Sanchez Angeira, 50, who suffers from oral cancer and has no home or family. The sound of aluminum pans being banged by protesters, a response to the blackouts, is quickly followed by the sound of police approaching.

Many Havana residents avoid the old city at night, deeming it too dangerous due to increased violence. "There is a lot of violence in the streets," Sanchez noted. "You can be stabbed, hit on the head with a stone, killed." Crowds gather during the day, but not for leisure; they queue at banks, cheap bakeries, and the Spanish consulate, clutching documents and hoping for a chance to leave the island. The exact number of emigrants is unknown, but demographer Juan Carlos Albizu-Campos estimates the population has dropped to eight million from over 11 million in 2012.

We dig through the trash looking for something to eat without stealing and without harming anyone. I have no home. I have no family. I have nothing.

— Manuel Sanchez AngeiraA 50-year-old Havana resident suffering from oral cancer describes his daily struggle for survival amidst the city's severe economic crisis.

Tourists, once an integral part of Havana's life, have largely disappeared. Only a few Mexicans or Colombians are seen searching for functioning restaurants with power and food. Establishments that remain open often have generators, list prices in dollars, and cater to well-connected Cubans. Historic landmarks like the century-old bar "El Floridita," where Ernest Hemingway once frequented, are shuttered with metal grates. His statue sits alone in the damp darkness. Nearby, "Sloppy Joe's," a historic restaurant, is also closed despite recent restoration efforts.

There is a lot of violence in the streets. You can be stabbed, hit on the head with a stone, killed.

— Manuel Sanchez AngeiraA Havana resident explains why many people avoid the old city at night due to increased crime.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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