According to the Associated Press, on July 14 local time, Cuba once again experienced a nationwide power outage. Cuban officials said that the United States' oil embargo has put tremendous pressure on Cuba's electrical grid, marking the third nationwide power outage in two weeks.
The Cuban Electric Union reported that a generator unit in the eastern province of Olind encountered problems, resulting in a 'frequency surge' and causing a power outage across the country on the noon of the 14th.
Later on the 14th, the Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines, as well as the Electric Power Union, announced that they had begun efforts to restore power supply, aiming to provide electricity for priority facilities such as hospitals and food processing plants.
According to the Associated Press, as of the afternoon of the 14th, power had been restored to some areas of Havana, the capital of Cuba. The local government stated that 4% of the city’s area has now been powered on. Additionally, power supply to local hospitals has also been established in Guanacaste Province and Cienfuegos Province.
In recent years, due to the aging of infrastructure and fuel shortages, Cuba has frequently experienced widespread or partial power outages. Since January this year, the United States has increased pressure on Cuba. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose additional tariffs on countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, exacerbating Cuba's ongoing economic and financial crises. Cuban public transportation is largely paralyzed, and tens of thousands of surgeries have been canceled.
And the Cuban people have long become accustomed to power outages. “It’s normal for Cuba to experience power outages now. If something else happens, that would be strange,” said Roberto Liana, a 69-year-old retail store employee.
According to reports, Cuba's domestic oil production can only meet about 40% of its domestic needs, and there is no solution for fuel imports.
Earlier on the 13th, the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the US Treasury issued a statement, listing several government agencies, state-owned enterprises, and social organizations in Cuba, including the Cuban Ministry of Tourism and the Cuban Revolutionary Warriors Association, on the sanctions list. This further expanded the scope of sanctions against Cuba.
Cuba's Foreign Minister Rodrigues said through social media that the U.S. government is continuously intensifying its warfare against the Cuban people, destroying the living conditions and sources of livelihood for the Cuban people. This act fully exposes the criminal and 'genocidal' attempts of U.S. leaders to punish the entire Cuban population.
