Cuban Luxury Hotel Spurns Havana Blackout, Igniting Social Media Fury

On May 20, 2026, a luxury hotel in Havana became the subject of viral social media posts after it remained brightly lit during a massive city-wide power outage. The incident underscored the ongoing energy crisis in Cuba, where blackouts are a common occurrence, yet high-end tourist establishments consistently escape the darkness.

A video shared widely showed the hotel as an isolated beacon in an otherwise darkened Havana street. Daily Express US reports this is not an isolated incident, noting that luxury hotels have frequently been at the center of similar controversies during past blackouts.

Such hotels are typically equipped with industrial backup generators and independent fuel reserves. They, along with other tourist zones, are often integrated into priority electrical circuits. Tourism remains a critical economic sector for Cuba, which continues to grapple with both international sanctions and domestic economic mismanagement.

Juan Pablo Carreira, an Argentine government official known as "Juan Doe" on social media, shared a striking dusk photograph of Havana plunged into darkness from an elevated viewpoint near the Malecón. According to Daily Express US, Carreira captioned the image, "Cuba completely in the dark. Only government buildings and luxury hotels run by the Castro family have electricity." He added, "There's so much talk about late-stage capitalism. Here, ladies and gentlemen, you have late-stage communism."

Cuba's national energy grid experienced a significant failure, severing power to the island's eastern provinces. A day earlier, President Miguel Díaz-Canel described the energy situation as “tense,” following the depletion of oil supplies delivered by a Russian vessel in late March. Cuba's domestic fuel production covers only about 40% of its operational needs.

Our take: The imagery of a fully illuminated luxury hotel against a backdrop of a city in darkness provides a potent visual commentary on Cuba's economic realities. The prioritization of tourism infrastructure, while understandable from a revenue perspective, creates a visible disparity that resonates strongly with both residents and international observers. This situation will likely continue as long as Cuba's energy vulnerabilities persist and tourism remains a lifeline.