Cuba is experiencing its longest blackout in decades, with the island under its fourth day without power yesterday. The grid’s collapse—predicted for years—came as the island’s 10 million residents were also hit by a hurricane. Schools are closed through at least tomorrow.
Cuba’s 50-year-old electrical grid has been blamed partly for the crisis, along with its reliance on dwindling oil imports. Cuba’s grid (including eight power plants) runs on crude oil, with the island relying on most of its imports from allies like Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico to cover its energy deficit. As the US temporarily eased sanctions on Venezuela this year, the country prioritized exports to US companies. Meanwhile, Mexico’s oil production fell to its lowest level in 45 years, exacerbating Cuba’s energy deficit.
As some Cubans have turned out to protest, the government has warned against civil disobedience; the last major energy crisis in Cuba, in 2021, led to a wave of historic protests and the emigration of roughly half a million Cubans to the US.
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