Orlando Cruzata Denounces Cubavisión Broadcast Delay
Orlando Cruzata, creator and director of the musical program Lucas, announced that Cubavisión postponed the broadcast of the Lucas Awards 2026 Nomination Gala after his team spent the entire night preparing the program. Cruzata shared the decision in a Facebook post titled “Halloween,” utilizing his usual slogan “PER QUESTO NON MI SOPPORTANO,” to criticize the state television network’s handling of the production.
Energy Crisis Forces Production Shift to Television Studios
Severe energy shortages forced the Lucas team to relocate the gala production to Cuban Television facilities to maintain access to a reliable generator. Cuba faced a severe power deficit on October 29, when the Electric Union projected a peak demand of 2,820 MW against an available supply of just 910 MW, creating a deficit of 1,910 MW. The country has experienced eight national electrical system collapses in 2026. Working through the night of October 29 and into the afternoon of October 30, the crew successfully compressed the initial two-hour gala into a one-hour broadcast format by 4:00 p.m. Friday.
Cubavisión Postpones Broadcast Due to Lack of Review Staff
Despite completing the master file on schedule, Cruzata learned that Cubavisión delayed the transmission because, among other justifications, no staff members were available at that hour to review the program. Cruzata labeled the station’s handling of the project a “quasi-declaration of war,” pointing to the decline of state television. He described the institution as having fallen from a major league team where staff poured their energy into meeting broadcast agreements down to a municipal-tier squad where commitments hold little value unless tied to political or computer programming.
Upcoming Lucas Awards Galas Set for Cine Yara
The 29th edition of the Lucas Awards operates under the motto “1 pá 30” and features 251 pre-selected music videos across 31 categories chosen from a total of 342 submissions. The upcoming event introduces two new categories: Miglior Video con Intelligenza Artificiale and Trucco e Parrucco. The video “Aset,” by Ibeyi, leads with seven nominations, while director Felo leads individual contenders with 17 nominations spanning six works. Despite the broadcast delay, Cruzata confirmed that the production team is pushing forward with plans for the Lucas Awards Galas scheduled for November 20 and 21 at Cine Yara.
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