Newspectives: Havana families adapting to 12-hour power outages with alternative cooking fuels

Published: 5 Feb 2026 · Last updated: 6 Feb 2026 · Generated by AI (methodology)

Facing 12-hour blackouts and fuel shortages, Havana residents are adapting with ingenuity and communal support. Families increasingly rely on charcoal and firewood for cooking, while neighbors organize shared street meals to pool resources. This shift highlights a resilient spirit as communities innovate with improvised stoves and shared solar energy to navigate daily challenges together.

Tags: Cuba, Energy Crisis, Infrastructure, Human Interest, Havana, Socioeconomics

Common Ground perspective

Sources: cibercuba.com, latintimes.com, havanatimes.org, efe.com

USA perspective

Mainstream US outlets report Havana residents enduring 12-hour blackouts are reverting to pre-industrial survival tactics, abandoning electric appliances for charcoal and firewood. Reports highlight the humanitarian toll—families burning furniture for fuel and cooking in streets—as evidence of the communist government's inability to maintain basic infrastructure amidst dwindling Venezuelan oil subsidies and tightening US sanctions.

Sources: latintimes.com, cibercuba.com, ctpost.com, ctvnews.ca

United Kingdom perspective

British media reports depict a severe regression in Havana's living standards, where 12-hour blackouts have necessitated a return to primitive cooking methods like charcoal and firewood. The coverage emphasizes the "unbearable" nature of the crisis for ordinary citizens, balancing human interest stories of resilience with critical analysis of the state's failing infrastructure, reduced oil imports, and the compounding impact of US sanctions.

Sources: cibercuba.com, havanatimes.org, theguardian.com, independent.co.uk

Germany perspective

German media depict a dire situation in Havana, where families grapple with 12-hour blackouts by resorting to charcoal and wood for cooking, signaling a regression in living standards. Reports emphasize the dual pressure of crumbling infrastructure and the US embargo, while highlighting the 'existential struggle' of citizens facing food spoilage and economic paralysis.

Sources: elpais.com, cibercuba.com, travelandtourworld.com, theweek.com

Russia perspective

Russian state media portrays the energy crisis in Havana not as a failure of governance, but as the direct result of an intensified US "economic war" and blockade preventing fuel imports. Reports highlight Moscow's commitment to continuing oil shipments and financial aid to its strategic ally. The narrative frames the daily hardships of Cuban families—forced to cook with alternative fuels—as a testament to their resilience against Washington's "aggressive" attempts to destabilize the island.

Sources: stamfordadvocate.com, globalbankingandfinance.com, almayadeen.net, yahoo.com

China perspective

Chinese state media identify the long-standing US embargo as the primary cause of Cuba's severe energy deficit, which forces Havana families to rely on charcoal and wood during 12-hour blackouts. Reports emphasize that while US sanctions block essential fuel and maintenance parts, China is actively supporting Cuba's stability through the construction of photovoltaic parks to transition the island toward renewable energy.

Sources: scmp.com, dynamitenews.com, timesunion.com, newsandcams.com

India perspective

Indian media reports highlight the deepening humanitarian crisis in Havana, where 12-hour power outages have forced residents to abandon electric stoves for charcoal and firewood. Attributing the collapse to aging infrastructure, fuel shortages, and prolonged US sanctions, reports emphasize Cuba's pivot toward the Global South, seeking strategic renewable energy partnerships with nations like India to regain energy autonomy.

Sources: indiatimes.com, business-standard.com, havanatimes.org, dynamitenews.com

Israel perspective

Israeli international desks report on Havana's return to the "Stone Age," detailing how families now cook with charcoal and scavenged wood during 20-hour blackouts. The coverage frames this humanitarian disaster as the inevitable failure of the communist regime, highlighting its deepened reliance on Iran and Russia for energy security while maintaining a hostile diplomatic stance toward Israel and the West.

Sources: lmtonline.com, inss.org.il, ctvnews.ca, cubaheadlines.com

Arab World perspective

As Washington tightens its blockade, depriving Cuba of vital oil imports, Havana's families are forced into survival mode. With the electrical grid collapsing for over 12 hours daily, households have abandoned modern appliances for charcoal and wood fires to cook meals. Pan-Arab commentators decry this 'economic suffocation' as a tool of imperialist hegemony, drawing parallels to collective punishment in Gaza.

Sources: thestatesman.com, aljazeera.com, aljazeera.com, argusmedia.com

Latin America perspective

Facing prolonged 12-hour blackouts caused by the intensified US blockade, Havana households are increasingly relying on charcoal and firewood for cooking. Despite the 'energy asphyxiation' aimed at destabilizing the island, communities are organizing to share resources. Regional leaders condemn the sanctions as the primary driver of this humanitarian challenge, calling for urgent Latin American energy integration.

Sources: prensa-latina.cu, dailymotion.com, cubanet.org

Humanitarian perspective

Havana residents face a deepening humanitarian emergency as 12-hour blackouts force families to cook with charcoal and wood on sidewalks. The energy collapse has triggered a cascading survival crisis, causing food spoilage, water shortages due to failed pumps, and severe psychological distress. This desperate struggle for basic necessities is accelerating mass migration as civilians flee deteriorating living conditions.

Sources: opb.org, catholicworldreport.com, pbs.org, dynamitenews.com

The Jester perspective (satire — not factual reporting)

While the rest of the world remains enslaved to the tyranny of reliable electricity, forward-thinking Havana families are embracing a government-mandated 'Paleo-Chic' lifestyle. By replacing bourgeois electric stoves with rustic charcoal pits and repurposed heirlooms, citizens are achieving a carbon-neutral footprint—mostly because they have no other choice. Authorities praise the 'revolutionary resilience' of cooking dinner over burning bathroom doors.

Sources: havanatimes.org, cibercuba.com, havanatimes.org, bilyonaryo.com

NETHERLANDS perspective

Dutch media report that Havana families are reverting to primitive survival methods due to power outages lasting over 12 hours. With electric burners useless and gas scarce, charcoal ('houtskool') has become the primary cooking fuel. Reports highlight the collapse of the aging energy grid, the impact on tourism, and the growing desperation among the population.

Sources: elpais.com, marketscreener.com, laka.org, wikipedia.org

NORTH_KOREA perspective

State media coverage minimizes specific domestic hardships like cooking fuel shortages, instead framing the energy crisis as a direct result of the 'murderous' U.S. blockade. Reports emphasize the 'indomitable will' of the Cuban people to defend socialism under the Communist Party's leadership, while pledging the DPRK's unwavering solidarity against 'imperialist suffocation' attempts.

Sources: koreatimes.co.kr, timesunion.com, theguardian.com, wftucentral.org

SOUTH_KOREA perspective

South Korean media reports on Havana's severe energy crisis, where families endure 12-hour blackouts and revert to cooking with charcoal and firewood. Following the historic establishment of diplomatic ties in 2024, Seoul views this infrastructure collapse not only as a humanitarian struggle but as a strategic opening for South Korean energy firms to export generators and grid technology, dealing a symbolic blow to North Korea.

Sources: gzeromedia.com, chosun.com, ctvnews.ca, koreatimes.co.kr

TAIWAN perspective

Taiwanese media reports highlight the desperate measures Havana residents are taking, such as reverting to charcoal stoves and car batteries, as the communist regime's energy infrastructure crumbles. Reports frame the 12-hour blackouts as a symptom of centralized economic failure and the collapse of support from authoritarian allies like Venezuela, contrasting this with the resilience of ordinary families.

Sources: taipeitimes.com, cpg-online.de, taipeitimes.com, ethz.ch

Sources

All primary sources cited across the perspectives on this page: