Cuban medical students demand exam changes amid chronic power outages

First‑year medical students in Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, Pinar del Río and Granma have sent formal letters to their university councils requesting the cancellation or reduction of the comprehensive final exams scheduled for June 29‑July 3. They cite uninterrupted power cuts, limited study time and transportation shortages, arguing that partial exam results should count or that exam content be limited to material actually covered. The protests have been echoed by third‑year students in Manzanillo (Granma) who reported widespread failing grades and unequal testing conditions.

The demands come during Cuba’s worst electrical crisis in decades, with a generation‑wide power deficit of roughly 2,040‑2,215 MW in June and some areas enduring more than 72 consecutive hours without electricity. The Ministry of Higher Education has already suspended university entrance exams for the 2026‑2027 academic year, acknowledging the impact of the outages on education. Students warn that the continuing shortages threaten the training of future doctors and the overall health system.