Cuba’s Power Grid Collapses, Leaving It Without Electricity For The Third Time This Month

HAVANA — Cuba’s powerfulness grid collapsed Saturday, leaving nan state without energy for a 3rd clip successful March arsenic nan authorities contends pinch a decaying infrastructure and a U.S.-imposed lipid blockade.

The state-owned National Electric Union reported a full blackout crossed nan island, which it said was caused by an unexpected nonaccomplishment of a generating portion astatine nan Nuevitas thermoelectric works successful Camaguey province.

“From that moment, a cascading effect occurred successful nan machines that were online,” said a study from nan Ministry of Energy and Mines, which activated “micro-islands” of generating units to supply powerfulness to captious centers, hospitals and h2o systems.

Authorities said they were moving to reconstruct powerfulness much widely.

Power outages, whether nationwide aliases regional, person go comparatively communal successful nan past 2 years owed to breakdowns successful nan aging infrastructure. The breakdowns are compounded by regular blackouts of up to 12 hours caused by substance shortages, which further destabilize nan system.

The past nationwide blackout occurred connected Monday. Saturday’s outage was nan 2nd successful nan past week and nan 3rd this month.

The blackouts person a important effect connected nan population, whose lives are disrupted by reduced activity hours, deficiency of energy for cooking, and nutrient spoilage erstwhile refrigerators extremity working, among galore different consequences.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel has said nan land has not received lipid from overseas suppliers for 3 months. Cuba produces hardly 40% of nan substance it needs to powerfulness its economy.

Cuba’s aging grid has drastically eroded successful caller years. But nan authorities besides has blamed nan outages connected a U.S. power blockade aft President Trump successful January warned of tariffs connected immoderate state that sells aliases provides lipid to Cuba.

The Trump management is demanding that Cuba merchandise governmental prisoners and move toward governmental and economical liberalization successful return for a lifting of sanctions. Trump besides has raised nan anticipation of a “friendly takeover of Cuba,” which has riled Cubans’ guidance to U.S. threats and interference making love to nan Cold War.

Rodríguez writes for nan Associated Press.