Since October 18, Cuba has been plunged into darkness. Power outages have continued since Friday and are depriving the vast majority of the island’s 10 million inhabitants of electricity. Despite its efforts, the Ministry of Energy is unable to stabilize the situation. The cause: dilapidated infrastructure and a shortage of fuel.
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The communist country uses fossil fuels for its lighting almost exclusively, with 95% of its energy production depending on oil or gas. Fuels which are also sorely lacking in Cuba. This year, its main supplier and ally, the Venezuelahas cut its subsidized deliveries in half.
Havana therefore turned to more expensive options: the Russia and the Mexico. But he remains unable to meet his needs. And when it’s not fuel that’s lacking, it’s infrastructure. Eight aging thermal power plants provide the majority of electricity production. Some of them have been operating for more than 40 years.
The infrastructure is very old and functions poorly. Cuba is a country that is not energy self-sufficient.
Janette Habel, Latin America specialist
Overloaded and outdated, the electricity network is no longer able to meet demand. The government has promised to modernize it with a transition to renewable energy, but a lack of investment and the US embargo are slowing the process.
Furthermore, this massive outage comes at a time when Cuba is going through its worst economic crisis in 30 years. The Cuban peso has collapsed, inflation exceeds 30% and shortages of food and medicine are increasing across the country.