Cuba’s Energy Grid Collapses in Response to U.S. Oil Blockade
Cuba’s power grid collapsed on 16 March, triggering an island-wide blackout. Residents throughout most of the island, including Havana, have been left to rely on headlamps, flashlights, and other battery-powered light sources.
Cuba’s energy ministry reported a “total disconnection” of the national power system and that it was investigating the cause of the blackout, according to The Washington Post.
As of Tuesday morning, more than 30 percent of Havana’s power had been restored.
“State-owned media reported that by late Monday power had been restored to 5 percent of residents in the capital, Havana, representing some 42,000 customers,” the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Cuba manages to produce 40 percent of its petroleum and has generated its own power, but what it makes is not enough to meet the demands of its power grid, according to the AP.
Lázaro Guerra, a director for the ministry of energy and mines, informed state media on Monday that there are ongoing efforts to restart Cuba's thermoelectric plants, which would help restore power.
While Cuba is no stranger to blackouts, they have become increasingly common since the United States blocked oil shipments from Venezuela, the island nation’s longtime supplier and regional ally, after U.S. military forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January. The Trump administration pledged to take control of Venezuela's oil industry and threatened to levy tariffs on any nation that supplied energy to Cuba, which is home to about 10 million people.
Prior to the blockade, Venezuela sent an estimated 35,000 barrels of oil a day to Cuba, according to the BBC. It’s now been three months since Venezuelan oil shipments reached the nation.
“Fuel prices have skyrocketed so much that gas can be as much as $9 a liter on the unofficial market, meaning it costs more than $300 to fill up a car’s gas tank, which is more than most Cubans earn in a year,” CNN said.
Cuba largely relies on oil for fueling its energy grid, and the U.S. blockade exacerbated the nation’s power woes. Since the start of the blockade, there have been intermittent power cuts, rationed medical supplies, and a decrease in tourism, CNN reported. Now, residents are also trying to safely navigate around and within their own homes with no lights, while also keeping food from spoiling.
Prior to the blackout, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on 13 March that his country was operating on 40 percent of the fuel it needs. The fuel rationing has affected homes and hospitals alike. “Locals say they are used to power lasting just two to five hours daily,” NBC News reported.
The shortages of fuel, food, and medicine have resulted in street protests—a rarity in a country where unauthorized demonstrations are illegal and punishable with jail time.
