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Cuba blackout (Photograph: AP)
Cuba confronted a nationwide blackout on Friday following the collapse of considered one of its main energy vegetation, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents at the hours of darkness. The disaster struck after the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant ceased operations, triggering a complete grid failure throughout the island and prompting the federal government to implement emergency measures, as reported by the Related Press.
Nonetheless, most of Cuba’s 10 million residents remained with out energy as officers from the grid operator UNE rushed to restart a number of oil-fired era vegetation to revive electrical energy. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero introduced the closure of colleges and non-essential industries, sending most state staff residence in an effort to preserve energy.
Residents endured shortages of meals, gasoline, water, and medication throughout the blackout. “The ability went out at 8 within the morning and it’s now 5 within the afternoon and there’s no electrical energy wherever,” stated Luis González, a 73-year-old retiree in Havana.
Throughout a televised tackle, Marrero linked the blackout to a “good storm” of outdated infrastructure, rising demand, and gasoline shortages. He stated, “The gasoline scarcity is the largest issue,” stating issues with getting restricted gasoline from offshore boats to energy vegetation, worsened by robust winds from Hurricane Milton. The federal government additionally blamed the US commerce embargo and sanctions from the Trump administration for making it exhausting to get the gasoline and spare components wanted for its oil-fired vegetation.
{The electrical} grid failure occurred simply hours after the Antonio Guiteras plant, Cuba’s largest and best, went offline. Officers are nonetheless investigating the reason for the collapse. In response to the blackout, the federal government activated emergency measures to chop energy demand, together with suspending lessons and cancelling leisure actions. This left residents annoyed and anxious, with many confined to their houses within the oppressive warmth. Brazilian vacationer Carlos Roberto Julio expressed his frustration, saying, “We went to a restaurant and so they had no meals as a result of there was no energy, now we’re additionally with out web.”
Regardless of the scenario, the Cuban authorities insisted it was prioritising efforts to revive energy. President Miguel Díaz-Canel wrote on X, “We’re devoting absolute precedence to addressing and fixing this extremely delicate vitality contingency. There shall be no relaxation till its restoration.”
As Havana descended into darkness, some areas of the capital skilled glints of sunshine returning, primarily in main hospitals. Though the federal government started to revive energy throughout the island following the widespread blackout, many Cubans continued to face challenges of their each day lives.
