Over 600,000 people in Cuba facing shortages of safe drinking water

More than 600,000 people in Cuba are struggling with access to safe drinking water, with authorities ramping up repairs in the breakdown-prone water system to ease the crisis.

Cuban authorities said the current water supply problem stems from breakdowns at water pumping stations due to technical failures and constant power outages.

Access to drinking water has been an issue on the island of Cuba for some time. This has forced people to endure a hot and uncomfortable summer season.

"We have a serious water supply situation. I can't mention a specific district, the water shortage affects us all. I live near here and my case is also critical," said Mario Mustelier, a Havana resident.

"I've experienced difficult times here because water has only been supplied once every four days to this zone. I've had to go to bathe or eat at one of my sons' places, because I live alone here," said Laudelina Piero, another resident in Havana.

Laudelina said water shortages have led her sons to use containers to store water and connect them to the house pipes for some relief.

The island's old thermal power plants have faced fuel supply shortages and equipment failures, causing power outages which affect both the industry and the residents.

After authorities made repairs to water pumping equipment, some districts in Havana have already seen an improvement in access to water.

"The problems seem to be solved. Water supply is returning to normal," said Havana resident Maria Teresa Batista.

Meanwhile, water resources workers are repairing and mounting new pipes and pumps to bring the water supply system back on its feet.

Over 600,000 people in Cuba facing shortages of safe drinking water

Over 600,000 people in Cuba facing shortages of safe drinking water

Over 600,000 people in Cuba facing shortages of safe drinking water

Protests against federal immigration enforcement are spreading across the United States, with the latest demonstration unfolding directly in front of the White House.

Early Saturday, more than a hundred demonstrators gathered there, demanding changes to the Trump administration's immigration policies and accountability for recent shootings involving federal agents.

Immigrant rights and civil rights groups said this weekend's rallies mark a coordinated national response. Demonstrations are planned or already underway in major cities including Philadelphia, as well as across states such as North Carolina, Florida, Texas, and Washington, D.C., where organizers are calling for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be removed from local communities.

The nationwide protests follow a deadly week in which three people were shot by federal agents in two days.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a 37-year-old woman, Renee Good, was killed during an enforcement operation by the ICE. A day later in Portland, Oregon, a man and a woman were wounded during a separate federal operation.

In the aftermath, Minnesota state officials accused the Trump administration of blocking their investigation by denying access to key evidence and prematurely drawing conclusions before a full review could be completed.

On Friday, Donald Trump defended the Department of Homeland Security's actions, sharply criticizing Minnesota leaders and calling them corrupt.

Local leaders have pushed back. During a Saturday news conference, the mayor of Minneapolis described ICE agents' actions as reckless.

Officials in both Minneapolis and Portland continue urging demonstrators to remain peaceful as protests intensify nationwide.

According to a 50501 Movement statement issued Friday, at least 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025.

Nationwide protests erupt in US after ICE shootings