Cuba in the Dark: Again and Again

Living in a place where turning on a light or switching on your fridge isn't as simple as flipping a switch. That's the reality for Cuba's 10 million people right now. The island's electrical grid has failed twice in just over a day, leaving Havana and other cities in darkness. The first blackout hit around 11 AM on Friday when one of Cuba's largest power plants, the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, gave out. Authorities thought they had things under control, but another full-scale power failure struck early on Saturday. To make matters worse, Hurricane Oscar is brewing near the Bahamas, prompting the government to issue hurricane watches for three eastern provinces. In the capital, Havana, traffic lights were down, and stores were either closed or operating on generators. People hurried to buy food, fearing what's left in their fridges would go bad. In Vedado, a government-run park opened as an outdoor market, selling root vegetables, rice, and other produce. In Old Havana, residents voiced their frustrations. "This is unbearable, " said Alexia de la Cruz, while Luis Utria described the situation as "intolerable. " Some even suggested that better relationships with the U. S. could help solve these issues. Power outages in Cuba are nothing new, but they've been worse lately. Schools and many state offices were closed on Friday to conserve energy, but it wasn't enough to prevent the total blackout. Cuba's aging infrastructure needs constant upkeep, and the government often blames the long-standing U. S. embargo for making repairs difficult. They also point to increased energy demand and fuel shortages. In some provinces, power cuts can last up to 20 hours a day. President Miguel Díaz-Canel promised on state TV that no one would rest until power is restored. He blamed the U. S. embargo for the lack of fuel and hard currency. The foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez, echoed this, saying blackouts would stop if the embargo ended. Cuba's economy has been hit hard by U. S. sanctions and the pandemic's impact on tourism. This has led to shortages in food, medicine, water, and fuel. The oil supply has dwindled since Venezuela, Cuba's main supplier, cut back on shipments. Over a million people, about 10% of Cuba's population, have left the country between 2022 and 2023 due to these issues.