The Cuban government has announced its renewed efforts to restore electricity across the island after state-run media revealed that the national power grid experienced a second major failure within just 24 hours.
In a morning television broadcast, Lazaro Guerra, the nation’s leading electricity official, disclosed that yet another grid failure in western Cuba prompted technicians to begin reconnecting three crucial power plants to the electrical system, temporarily hindering progress. “I can’t guarantee that the system will be fully operational today, but we expect to make significant headway today,” Mr. Guerra shared.
Shortly before his update, CubaDebate, a prominent state media outlet, reported that the grid operator, UNE, had confirmed a “total disconnection of the national electro-energetic system.” Such terms resonate deeply within a country that has faced chronic electricity woes.
This latest crisis first erupted around midday yesterday, when one of Cuba’s largest power facilities went offline, leaving over ten million citizens in the dark. Even before this collapse, the government had already forced many non-essential state employees to stay home and suspended school sessions for children in a bid to conserve precious fuel resources for electricity generation.
However, glimmers of hope flickered throughout the evening, as power began to slowly return to scattered neighborhoods across the island. Yet, the grid operator has refrained from revealing the causes of this latest failure or how long it might take to resolve the ongoing crisis.
As Cuba’s government looks for answers, officials have cited weeks of escalating blackouts, often lasting between 10 to 20 hours daily across various regions of the island. These outages stem from aging infrastructure, dwindling fuel supplies, and surging demand.
Compounding matters, strong winds associated with Hurricane Milton have hampered the island’s ability to transport limited fuel supplies from offshore vessels to power plants. The perennial struggle for fuel was further exacerbated this year by significant reductions in deliveries from traditional allies such as Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico.
Venezuela has slashed its subsidized fuel shipments to Cuba by 50% this year, a decision that has left the island scrambling for alternatives in an increasingly expensive spot market. The Cuban government also points a finger at the United States trade embargo and the sanctions imposed during Donald Trump’s presidency, which they claim have severely restricted Havana’s access to energy resources and necessary maintenance parts for oil-operated plants.
In a stark expression of their frustrations, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel addressed these issues on social media, stating, “The grave situation we face results from the intensification of financial and energy warfare led by the United States.” However, the U.S. swiftly dismissed these claims. A spokesperson from the White House National Security Council stated, “The United States is not responsible for today’s blackout on the island or the ongoing energy troubles in Cuba.” Additionally, a representative from the State Department indicated that they were monitoring the humanitarian implications of the power outages, but noted that the Cuban government had not requested assistance.
In Havana, the blackout created palpable chaos, bringing commerce to a standstill as residents found themselves sitting in oppressive heat on their doorsteps, waiting for a return to normalcy.
The blackout represents a dismal chapter on an island already grappling with severe shortages of food, water, fuel, and medication. Tourists grew increasingly frustrated, with one Brazilian visitor, Carlos Roberto Julio, recounting his experience, “We went to a restaurant, and there was no food because of the lack of power. Now, we are also without the internet. It’s been a challenging two days.”
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero recently echoed sentiments shared by many Cubans, attributing the growing frequency of power outages to a trifecta of woes: deteriorating infrastructure, diminished fuel supplies, and escalating demand. “The fuel shortage is the biggest factor,” he emphasized to the nation.
To many everyday Cubans, who are no strangers to power interruptions, this recent nationwide outage felt like just another chapter in a seemingly endless saga. Carlos Manuel Pedre, reminiscing on his simpler pastimes during the blackout, remarked, “Given the state of our country right now, the most sensible form of entertainment is dominoes,” while enjoying a game with friends. “We’re in total crisis.”
Despite the growing demand for electricity, particularly with Cuba’s budding private sector, fuel availability has plummeted. Venezuela, the country’s principal oil supplier, has reduced its shipments to an average of 32,600 barrels per day in the first nine months of the year—less than half of the 60,000 barrels per day provided during the same timeframe in 2022, as per maritime monitoring data and internal documents from PDVSA, Venezuela’s state-owned oil company.
This drastic cut in supply has left Cuba scrambling for oil on the more expensive spot market, all while its government faces acute financial distress. The collective plight of the Cuban people continues amidst an uncertain energy future, as they struggle to adapt to the challenging realities of life on the island.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
