October 19, 2024
Due to the effects of the blockade, 13 of the 15 thermal units are out of the maintenance cycle. Photo: Omara García Mederos, Granma
Today, Cuba once again experienced a total power outage after the recovery process of the National Electric System (SEN), initiated the day before following a blackout caused by a failure at a thermoelectric plant, failed. The Caribbean nation is unable to purchase or modernize its electrical machinery due to the draconian, unilateral blockade of the US.
The process of re-energizing the SEN was then initiated, gradually restoring power to certain areas of the country with the goal of expanding and connecting them to eventually reach the thermoelectric plants and restart them. However, a new total disconnection thwarted the progress that had been made.
A Cuban bookstore serves its customers in the midst of the blackout, X/ @xeunoticias
“Today at 6:15 a.m., the National Electrical System experienced a total disconnection. The Electric Union is working on restoring it,” the state-owned Electric Union (UNE) reported on social media.
On Friday morning, the SEN collapsed due to a failure at the Guiteras thermoelectric plant, one of the country’s main power generators. This caused a complete blackout across the country. The situation had already been labeled as an “energy emergency,” as President Miguel Diaz-Canel had said on Thursday.
This week, the supply of electricity has been reduced by up to 50 percent on some days. As a result, authorities halted all non-essential state labor activities starting Friday, including ministries and schools. Diaz-Canel also stated that “there will be no rest” until electric service on the island is restored and emphasized that the situation is “tense and complex.”
students in Santa Clara charging their phones
Due to the U.S. blockade, which restricts the influx of foreign currency to Cuba, the SEN is in a very precarious state because of fuel shortages and frequent failures in thermoelectric plants, which have been operating non-stop for over four decades.
Power outages have been common for several years, but since the end of August, the situation has worsened, reaching levels similar to the worst moments, such as in 2021 and 2022.
In recent years, the Cuban government has rented several floating power plants to alleviate the lack of generating capacity. Frequent blackouts are damaging Cuba’s economy, which contracted by 1.9 percent in 2023 and is still below the levels of 2019.
Venezuela Expresses Unconditional Solidarity with Cuba Amid Energy Crisis
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has issued a statement expressing its “absolute solidarity and unconditional support” for its sister Republic of Cuba amidst the energy crisis facing the island. This support is framed within what Venezuela describes as a “cruel intensification of the economic war and financial persecution” by the United States, through the “illegal blockade” imposed on the Cuban people.
The statement acknowledges Venezuela’s recognition of the “heroic efforts made by the people of Cuba, as well as their president, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez,” to mitigate the effects of these “criminal unilateral coercive measures.” The Bolivarian government views these actions as a form of “collective punishment,” which it believes constitutes a “crime against humanity” directed at Cuba.
Furthermore, the text emphasizes that Cuba has the backing of the Bolivarian Revolution to confront this situation, reaffirming confidence that the Cuban nation will overcome its current challenges. In this regard, the Venezuelan government also calls upon the international community, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean, to mobilize in support of Cuba and to categorically condemn the blockade affecting it.
Additionally, it requests the “immediate removal of the infamous unilateral list” that includes countries allegedly linked to terrorism, which it claims is “the main cause of the hardships currently endured.”
This pronouncement underscores the historical and supportive relationship between both nations.
Source: Telesur