From our Bureau of Bad Days at the Ministry of Truth with some assistance from our Bureau of Tense Times at the Ministry of Privileges
Castro, Inc. was forced to face a double-barrel crisis yesterday, one of which has been causing them headaches for the past month, the other totally new and unexpected. The larger crisis involves damaged underground pipes that. Fixing those pipes is taking a long time, and one of the affected neighborhoods is El Vedado, which happens to be full of all sorts of privileged oligarchs and apparatchiks who are angrily demanding the water to which their high status entitles them. See article below.
The surprise crisis was a sudden loss of power that knocked out television transmission throughout the entire island for about one hour, forcing the Ministry of Truth into silence. Unlike the water pipes under El Vedado, which are taking a long time to be fixed, the “technical issues” at Castro, Inc.’s television broadcasting system were resolved very quickly. After all, you can’t have a communist utopia without a constant flow of propaganda.
Loosely translated from CiberCuba
Residents of El Vedado are complaining about the water shortage they have been suffering for several days and blame the state-owned company Aguas de La Habana for the complex situation in the capital.
In messages on social networks, some people warn the government that there may be consequences if they do not resolve this crisis because Cubans “are not insects.”
Since July 21, residents of El Vedado and other areas of Havana are facing a severe water crisis due to a failure in the 110,000v power transmission lines, which feed the Cuenca Sur water supply well field.
The total interruption of pumping generated several water hammers in the main pipeline, causing it to collapse in three places. Aguas de La Habana reported that its brigades are working tirelessly to repair the damage to the water supply source, but the situation remains critical for residents.
The desperation of the population is increasing because the authorities do not report when they will solve the crisis. Social media has been filled with messages from residents expressing their frustration and exhaustion at living without water for so many days.
Vedado, one of the areas with the highest density of buildings and an aging population, is particularly affected, as many elderly people are unable to carry buckets of water to their apartments.
The effects of this crisis are palpable in daily life. Residents are unable to flush the toilet, cook, wash clothes, or perform basic household chores.
“You can’t live like this. In fact, we are not living, we are surviving. And nobody does anything. Nobody complains. It seems as if everyone is afraid to protest for a right. Those who have an obligation to the people only know how to offer ‘apologies for the inconvenience caused’, as if that would solve something,” said one resident on social media.
Another person commented: “Aguas de La Habana must be working in another dimension because what they publish on their networks cannot be touched in reality.” This criticism reflects the widespread feeling of helplessness.
The lack of water has led many to resort to tanker trucks, whose service costs between 8,000 and 10,000 pesos, an unaffordable price for most Cuban workers.
The situation has worsened to such an extent that a Facebook group called “Victims of Water in Havana” has been created, where users from different municipalities denounce the crisis, showing that this is not a problem exclusive to Plaza de la Revolución, but rather affects a large part of the capital.