On Sunday Aug. 2, Cuba suffered its sixth national blackout this year, the third in ten days, forcing (among many other disasters), Havana residents to sleep on the beach to get any relief at all from suffocating humid summer heat. On Aug. 2, the temperature was 94 degrees but felt like 106. The National Electrical System (SEN) collapsed late on Aug. 2 and was being restored the following day when it collapsed again due to fierce storms. Almost the entirety of Cuba’s population, 10 million people, are affected. People are exasperated and upset, unable to carry out even the simplest of daily activities, without water, electricity, refrigeration or air conditioning. The situation is particularly onerous for families with small children and the elderly.
In remarks reported by the daily Granma today, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla charged that the blackouts “are the direct consequence of the genocidal blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States, particularly the energy siege” which not only prohibits any fuel shipments from arriving, but makes it impossible to obtain spare parts, collaborate with foreign experts or access foreign financing. Today, Cuba’s power plants and generators are more than 40 years old, built originally by the Soviet Union. Cuban electricity workers have performed miracles in repairing them, but it’s a near impossible task as the ancient plants keep breaking down and Cuba has no ability to purchase newer technology. The state electric company, UNE, reports that efforts were made to restore power gradually, focusing first in the western part of the island, moving east, with priority given to hospitals and healthcare facilities. As of today, the entire grid was restored, but for how long?
