On the streets of Havana, Cuba Battles Daily Water Shortages. Daily life is no longer measured in hours, but in liters. Cuba’s deep energy crisis isn’t just plunging the country into darkness, it’s also drying up household taps. Without fuel or electricity, millions of people are building their lives around the few brief moments when water runs, feeding a parallel survival economy.
In Cuba, blackouts leave water pumps standing idle. The situation worsened sharply after the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, which led to a halt in oil exports to the island.
Combined with the U.S. embargo, nearly 3 million Cubans now struggle to find water, according to the Guardian. The water network runs on just 37% of the fuel it needs, while 70% of the capital’s water is lost to leaks.
A Water System In Full Collapse
In Cuba, blackouts leave water pumps standing idle. The situation worsened sharply after the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, which led to a halt in oil exports to the country.
Combined with the U.S. embargo, nearly 3 million Cubans now struggle to find water. The network runs on just 37% of the fuel it needs, while 70% of the capital’s water is lost to leaks.
“Our Whole Life Depends On A Few Hours Of Power”
Those who can afford it buy water from private tanker trucks. Everyone else hauls it themselves. “We boil and filter the water we drink, and measure out the rest drop by drop. I make this trip three times a day,” says 61-year-old Mirela Martinez.
In Centro Habana, Dayamis Hernandez Diaz fills buckets to supply her building’s water tank. “The moment the power comes back, even in the middle of the night, we get up to fill water, cook and charge our phones. Our whole life depends on those few hours. This isn’t a life.”
From Doctor To Street Water Seller
With the state unable to meet people’s needs, an informal water market has sprung up in Havana. Juan Miguel Reyes, a former doctor with 23 years of service, now pushes a heavy cart through poor neighborhoods selling water.
“I never imagined I’d end up selling water. We walk for hours in the heat and carry buckets up staircases. It’s exhausting, but at least it puts food on the table,” he explains. Each 200-liter tank sells for 1,500 pesos, roughly 1.75 pounds.
“Water Became A Luxury”
A little further away, Carlos Sanchez collects water from a broken pipe and carries it by bicycle to the historic center. “I earn more carrying water than I did working as a technician at a funeral home. My kids left the country. I stayed behind.”
At night, Mirela returns to her dark apartment, lining up jugs against the walls. “Water and electricity should be basic rights, but here they’ve become luxuries. When it gets dark, we don’t go out, it’s dangerous. I just hope one day we’ll live a normal life again.”
