Cuba has faced one of its toughest weeks in years, with a nationwide blackout that left around 10 million people without electricity for several days. As if the energy crisis wasn’t enough, Hurricane Oscar struck the northeastern coast, causing fatalities and widespread damage. For many communities, power shortages have become an everyday struggle.
As the blackout extended into its fourth day, Havana resident Yusely Perez resorted to using firewood for cooking. Her neighborhood had not received liquefied gas deliveries for two months, and when the electrical grid collapsed, she and her husband had to search for alternative fuel. “We couldn’t find charcoal anywhere,” Yusely said. “We had to collect firewood from the streets.”
During what was described as Cuba’s worst energy crisis in years as over 10 million people are without power, Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy blamed the “brutal” U.S. economic embargo for hindering the country’s ability to maintain the grid and secure fuel. The U.S. government countered that the crisis resulted from Cuba’s own mismanagement. Meanwhile, just as officials promised a quick return to normalcy, the grid collapsed for the fourth time in two days.
At night, the effects of the blackout were visible as Havana’s streets fell into darkness, and residents gathered on doorsteps, illuminated only by their mobile phones. Frustration grew, with some, like restaurant worker Victor, openly criticizing the government’s investment in tourism over energy infrastructure. “They’ve built so many hotels, each costing hundreds of millions. Yet, our energy system is failing,” he said.
Amid rising discontent, President Miguel Diaz-Canel appeared on state TV, dressed in olive-green military fatigues, warning against protests and recalling the unrest in July 2021 when demonstrations erupted following blackouts. This time, only a few isolated incidents were reported.
The debate over Cuba’s allocation of resources remains heated as 10 million people are without power. Economist Ricardo Torres pointed out that power generation is meeting just 60-70% of the national demand, creating a “huge and serious gap.” The government’s data shows a 2.5% decrease in electricity production in 2023 compared to the previous year, contributing to a 25% decline since 2019.
For people like Marbeyis Aguilera, a 28-year-old mother of three in the village of Aguacate, power outages have become a way of life. “We’ve been without power for six days,” she said, cooking on a makeshift charcoal stove as her kitchen filled with smoke. Her community is also grappling with food insecurity and water shortages, problems worsened by the power crisis.
As the government postponed non-essential work and schooling to stabilize the grid, Marbeyis expressed concern for her children, saying, “When they ask for things, we have nothing to give them.” The struggles of cooking with firewood and relying on basic necessities evoke memories of Cuba’s past poverty before the revolution.
To compound matters, Hurricane Oscar’s recent landfall brought severe winds and flooding, worsening conditions along the northeastern coast. Even though the storm has passed, the fragility of Cuba’s energy system means that another nationwide blackout could happen at any moment.
