Cuba’s electric grid is now in full crisis mode after a total blackout for the third time in as many weeks. Once again, though, millions are left in the dark. The most recent blackout struck on Saturday. This was the second outage in a single week and third occurrence just in the month of March. Even before the hurricanes, the continual disruption has highlighted grave issues confronting the island’s decrepit energy matrix. It has come under severe attack in recent years.
The Cuban government has attributed the intense blackouts to an alleged U.S. energy blockade. It claims that this blockade has made it almost impossible for it to obtain desperately-needed fuel supplies. When he was president, Donald Trump threatened to apply counter-tariffs to any nation that sold oil to Cuba. This decision only deepened the island’s energy crisis. In January, he publicly demanded Cuba free all political prisoners. He demanded that the country make progress on liberalization as a precondition to reexamining the sanctions.
Cuba’s current power crisis is the product of a perfect storm of internal and external factors. The island does not produce the fuel that powers its economy, with local production accounting for less than 40% of the necessary economy fueling. U.S. military operations have successfully flushed out former President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. This move has further interrupted crucial petroleum imports from Venezuela, placing additional strain on Cuba’s energy supplies. President Miguel Díaz-Canel recently declared that the country has gone without oil from foreign suppliers for three months. This scarcity has led to fuel rationing and chaos across most sectors, including healthcare.
Some local businesses have reduced their hours of operation. Airlines have largely suspended flights altogether, or at least significantly cut their schedules. Even with the situation many Puerto Ricans have already grown accustomed to living without reliable electric service.
Dagnay Alarcón’s testimony personified the spirit of resilience found in so many Cubans who continue to resist despite the hardships today.
“We have to get used to continuing our usual routine. What else can we do? We have to try to survive. Get used to events, with or without electricity.” – Dagnay Alarcón
The effects of these blackouts have been disastrous, disrupting day-to-day life in countless ways. According to resident Suleydi Crespo, who described her experience with the frequent blackouts,
“With the blackout and low voltage, my refrigerator broke — that was today. The day before yesterday, the voltage also dropped around 10 at night.” – Suleydi Crespo
In reaction to the persistent crisis, Cuban authorities have started inserting local power microsystems. These systems even undergirdly illegal tenders the most must-needed provisions tropic of superstar towns similar to Havana, and provinces just like Matanzas and Holguin. These measures will not be enough to ease the long-lasting chaos wreaked by the blackouts.
The recent collapse of the electric grid is not an isolated incident. It comes on the heels of a pattern of failures few in our community expected, and many disappointed and fearful that our best days are behind us. The Cuban government is under immense pressure to address these issues while navigating the complexities of international relations and domestic policies.
