After several days of blackouts lasting more than 20 hours a day, the residents of Cienfuegos face this February 14 with little enthusiasm
14ymedio, Julio César Contreras, Cienfuegos, 14 February 2025 — There is no indication that this Friday will be a festive day for the people of Cienfuegos. After several days of blackouts lasting more than 20 hours a day, residents of the city face Valentine’s Day with little enthusiasm and limited consumer offerings. The candles lit tonight will not be to create a romantic atmosphere but to alleviate the darkness of the power cuts.
“My wife and I have a tradition of celebrating it because we met on February 14 at a party that some friends organized,” Alejandro, 45, told this newspaper. “Normally we would go out to eat at a restaurant, buy roses and then walk around the city for a while, but this year we’re going to stay at home, not spend money because everything is so expensive, and go to bed early.”
The economic crisis has dampened the passion surrounding the date. Since the beginning of the month, merchants have also remained cautious with the sale of all kinds of gifts and accessories. While a few years ago tables, shops and private kiosks were filled with stuffed animals, artificial or natural flowers, chocolates, heart-shaped accessories and all kinds of red or pink trinkets, in 2025 the options are reduced.
“This year, the initial investment was very expensive and we have no guarantees of recovering it.”
At the traditional craft fair that has been overflowing on San Fernando Boulevard since early February, merchants have now opted for caution. “At this time, my husband and I always put a special product on sale, but this year the initial investment was very high and we have no guarantee of recovering it,” explains Gina, a goldsmith from Cienfuegos who runs a sales point in the city centre.
Instead of her own themed products made of steel, copper and beads, she has preferred to stock a majority of her shop with timeless products, which “are just as good for Valentine’s Day as for a birthday,” she admits. “Many people come in, ask for prices and then leave without buying anything. This misery has taken away people’s desire to love each other.”
Her business experience tells her that those peaks in purchases around special dates are now history. “A seller who depends on celebrations is at risk of not even being able to recover the cost of the investment made,” says Gina. Inflation pushes families to cut spending on gifts and festivities to concentrate almost exclusively on survival.
The nightlife scene is not a great incentive to dig deep into your pocket either. “You can find a restaurant with seating and have a nice time, but then how do you get home? In the dark? That’s dangerous,” admits David, 28, who went out in the middle of his workday on Wednesday to buy a present for his wife.
After going around the shops near Villuendas Park, the young man realized that his goal would be complicated. “A simple postcard costs 300 or 400 pesos. No matter how much you love it, your pocket can’t handle such excesses.” After a long trip, David ended up spending more than 300 pesos on two loaves of bread that he managed to buy from an informal vendor. “Bread is missing, so given the choice, I opted to be able to have breakfast tomorrow.”
In David and his partner’s home, it is very likely that tonight there will be a frugal dinner in the darkness of a blackout and the main entertainment will be “watching some videos on the Internet if we have battery and connection left at that time.”
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