How Cuba lives without electricity - its residents organize their lives according to when the electricity comes on

Lately, in Cuba, it's a real miracle when the electricity comes on for 20 minutes - and that can happen, for example, around three in the morning.

Because the US blocked all imports of this energy source to oil-dependent Cuba this year, the entire country is increasingly experiencing power outages, most recently on August 3. Repairs to the network took days.

Power outages are nothing new in this communist Caribbean country south of Florida. Endemic power shortages began to worsen five years ago, driven by a deteriorating power grid, decades of US sanctions and failed economic reforms.

But the quality of life has rapidly deteriorated since the Republican administration of US President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on any goods from a country that sells oil to Cuba or supplies it with its own oil.

This measure, along with even more rigid sanctions from Washington, is intended to force the Cuban government to make political changes. The worst consequences are felt by ordinary Cubans.

Previously, most power outages were related to government restrictions to save energy, so each family knew in advance how long they would be in the dark - usually two or three hours - and could organize themselves.

There is no predictability now - there can be no electricity for 12 hours, 30 hours or even longer. And more and more often the entire island is left without electricity. Over the weekend, the sixth such outage since the beginning of the year occurred.

An example of the situation Cubans find themselves in is what Leidis Rodriguez (72) does when her power goes out at three in the morning, and she doesn't know how long it will last: she cooks beans faster and better.

Cubans now plan their lives around power outages - for a few minutes or a few hours. When the light comes on, families stop whatever they're doing.

Then "you want to do everything at the same time," says Yajmara Matos (41), daughter of Leidis Rodriguez, and adds: "you do laundry, iron, cook, clean rooms (...) What you used to do for 10 hours, you now have to do in two hours."

With the power outages come other troubles: there is no public transportation, no cultural events, and the key driver of the economy, tourism, has completely stopped and 25.000 jobs in the hospitality industry are now vacant.

Commercial flights are being cancelled regularly, business hours have been reduced to adapt to the new reality of Cuba without electricity. Medicine shortages have worsened, and food is rotting and moldering in refrigerators that can't function.

And Rodriguez lists other problems: "When there is no electricity, there is no water, because there is nothing to run the pumps. And when there is water, there is no electricity."

Cubans, however, have long since become accustomed to crises and have managed to cope even now. Rodriguez and Matos bought a small generator, but it can only work for a few hours a day.

Others have installed solar panels, sent to them by relatives from abroad. Some are buying battery-powered fans or solar-powered cars, because when there is no oil, there is no gasoline to run the cars.

Llanet Barroso no longer cooks with gas, but with wood. Since she doesn't know when she'll have water next time the electricity goes out, she fills plastic bottles with water and tries to have as many as possible.

In several local governments, especially in Havana, residents are protesting over power outages lasting more than 48 hours. They are banging pots and pans, piling up garbage on street corners.

Inflation has also run rampant, so people can barely afford food - which can spoil in their refrigerators when the power goes out.

Cardidad Delgado (64) prepares a meal for her cat under the light of a battery-powered lamp that her family - her three immigrant children - bought for her abroad.

She says she used to be able to watch soap operas on TV. "Now I can't even dream of that," she says. She complains that there is so much anger and despair around, but adds: "I try to keep living."