From our Bureau of Admirable Latrine American Utopias with some assistance from our Bureau of Socialist Infrastructure Maintenance
The future looks bleak for all Cubans on the island who aren’t members of the ruling oligarchy. Expect nothing but lack of power and lack of water. The $10 billion /8 year estimate for restoring electrical service — which is way too optimistic — means only one thing: There is no way this problem can be solved by Castro, Inc. So the blackouts are only going to increase. The same holds true for Cuba’s water system. About 2 million Cubans don’t have access to potable water and at least 67% of Cubans experience constant interruptions in water delivery through Castro, Inc.’s broken, leaky pipes.
Vamos bien! Welcome to Socialist paradise. And, oh, by the way, this disaster can be blamed on U.S. aggression. It’s not Castro, Inc.’s fault. End the blockade!
Loosely translated from Diario de Cuba
“To rebuild the capacity of thermo-electric generation in Cuba, around $10 billion and almost a decade are required, as revealed by the report ‘Cuba collapses and also shuts down,’ conducted by economist Emilio Morales and published this Wednesday by Cuba Siglo 21. The think tank also published the research ‘The water problem in Cuba’ this Wednesday, carried out by the Cuban Observatory of Citizen Auditing. Both shed light on the emergency in the water and energy sectors on the island.
Morales’ report highlights an increasing electrical crisis. After decades of neglect in modernizing the energy matrix, the Electric Union (UE) faces a 31.1% deficit between electricity supply and demand, a figure that could be even higher in the coming weeks, the analyst warned.
According to the document’s author, obsolete infrastructure and lack of investment have left the population suffering from increasingly frequent and prolonged blackouts.
This week, it was announced that there would be four hours of power outage daily in Havana and up to 15 in the provinces. To worsen the situation, it was known that the Cienfuegos thermoelectric plant was taken out of service on Wednesday due to a ‘leak in the boiler.’
Morales emphasizes in his text that the energy crisis has no immediate solution. ‘Multibillion-dollar investments are required (estimated at $10 billion) and it will take 6 to 8 years to rebuild thermo-electric generation capacity.’
‘The real solution lies in a change of the economic model. The only way for the Cuban economy to rebuild itself is to eliminate the internal blockade of prohibitions and regulations that prevent citizens from generating wealth and deter foreign investors,’ Morales considers.
On the other hand, the report from the Cuban Observatory of Citizen Auditing highlights the crisis in water supply on the island. Despite having extensive reservoir systems, over 67% of the Cuban population does not receive water steadily in their homes.
According to the text, ‘almost 2 million Cubans (1,884,000) do not have access to potable water, although the government recognizes only less than a million (956,000).’
‘The lack of maintenance of infrastructure, poor management of water resources, and prioritization of tourism over the basic needs of the population when ensuring the supply of precious liquid aggravate the situation,’ says the report.
The publications of Cuba Siglo 21 coincide ‘in the urgent need to address the structural problems affecting Cuba. The water and energy crisis not only impact the quality of life of millions of Cubans but also have serious implications for public health and the environment.’
‘To resolve these crises, a systemic change in the economic and management model of the country is required,’ states Cuba Siglo 21.
In his research, Morales emphasizes the importance of transitioning from a centralized and statized model to a free-market economy that stimulates foreign investment and innovation.”
Carlos, you forgot the obligatory disclaimer: No price is too much to pay to keep the “revolution” in power.