Cuba edges toward breakdown as power cuts and US meddling push society to brink

Cuba's national electricity grid has collapsed for the third time in ten days, plunging cities into darkness and fueling public despair over the island's failing power system. The recurring blackouts, occurring amidst sweltering summer temperatures and high humidity, are pushing the nation of 9.5 million people to a breaking point.

The island's infrastructure woes are long-standing, but have been exacerbated by a six-month U.S. oil blockade, part of a broader campaign to destabilize the communist government. "The backbone of the system is still the big power plants,' said Jorge Piñon, a senior energy researcher at the University of Texas. "And they're old, broken and tired."

“

The backbone of the system is still the big power plants. And they're old, broken and tired.

With summer temperatures reaching the mid-30s Celsius and humidity at 80%, tempers are fraying. The nationwide grid failures compound existing local blackouts, turning the sound of salsa music in the streets to the drumming of pots and pans – a soundtrack of shared misery. "An hour isn't enough time to run the pump to get water or to charge phones,' lamented Alberto, a middle-aged resident in Havana's Vedado neighborhood. "People want the government to act right now."

“

An hour isn't enough time to run the pump to get water or to charge phones. People want the government to act right now.

Government officials cite a severe lack of fuel and spare parts for the thermoelectric units as insurmountable obstacles. "We've said it before, there is a total absence of fuel,' stated Vicente de la O Levy, the minister of energy. "And we do not have access to spare parts for our thermoelectric units."

Beyond the energy crisis, Cuba's economy has been weakened by hyperinflation and U.S. sanctions that have driven away foreign businesses. Reports indicate that even essential imported goods, like spare parts for electric cars, are stuck in transit, highlighting the far-reaching impact of the U.S. pressure campaign. The situation has left streets in cities like Havana eerily empty, reflecting a society on the brink.

“

We've said it before, there is a total absence of fuel. And we do not have access to spare parts for our thermoelectric units.