AREQUIPA, Peru – Amaury Pérez Vidal, a renowned Cuban singer-songwriter and ally of the Castro regime, was forced to cancel performances in Cuba due to the serious economic and energy crisis that the island is going through.

The artist had “planned” to promote three albums recorded with the Museum of Music for September 26. However, through a post on social media he announced the cancellation of the event.

“Yesterday, in a meeting with all those involved in the organization of the event (in the midst of a desperate blackout) we decided to indefinitely postpone the presentation,” announced Pérez Vidal, who in recent times has developed a close relationship with the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel and his wife Lis Cuesta.

According to him, “it seemed to him at least imprudent, in the midst of the difficult situation that the nation is going through, to celebrate something as insignificant as the release of some phonograms.”

In what he described as a decision motivated by “civility” and “common sense,” the artist stressed that the presentation of the albums would take place once “the situation in the country improves.”

The worsening of the energy crisis on the island has worsened in recent months, a problem that the Cuban people have had to deal with cyclically for decades. The panorama is also marked by other aggravating factors such as the shortage of food, medicine, the transportation crisis, among other elements.

“Dear Amaury, I am not pessimistic, but eternally realistic. The situation in Cuba has no hope and this, as you know, is in God,” said an Internet user identified as Ruth Annia Vidal Gaspar.

“Good morning to you. And is there hope that the situation in the country will improve? I don’t think so. Excuse my frankness,” wrote Marisela del Carmen Cedeño Reyes, another user who distanced herself from the artist’s apparent optimism.

“Good luck in the wait…. I will only tell you, they have been going from bad to worse for 64 years, God hear you and be quick,” said the profile Luchiano L. Brindusescu.

A difficult energy situation

The Cuban regime acknowledged on Wednesday that it failed to stabilize the electrical system during the months of July and August, as it had promised, while the Island continues to suffer long daily blackouts of up to 15 hours.

However, during the inauguration of the III Renewable Energy Fair in Havana, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero said that despite not achieving the desired stability, they managed to “avoid major damage” and there was progress in the “maintenance” and “recovery” of the thermoelectric plants. Progress that is not perceived by Cubans who face blackouts of numerous hours.

For his part, Vicente De la O Levy, Minister of Energy and Mines, tried to soften the growing indignation of the population in the face of the energy situation. He spoke of “financial sacrifices” to ensure the arrival of fuel to the generating units in the coming days and promised that before the end of the year the first 400 megawatts from new solar parks will be installed.

De la O Levy pointed out that the main problem at the moment is the fuel shortage, which not only affects electricity generation but also the rest of the economy.