From our Bureau of Apartheid Power Grids with some assistance from our Bureau of Socialist Equity and Social Justice
Cubans in the province of Matanzas were reminded of their insignificance by Castro, Inc. this past week when a massive blackout left them without electricity while the tourist magnet of Varadero beach, which is is chock full of apartheid hotels, remained unaffected. Never let it be said that Castro, Inc. doesn’t let everyone know what its top priorities are. Yeah. Those superior beings in hotels need their lights on at night, as well as their air conditioning in the stifling summer heat. Cubans don’t need such luxuries.
Meanwhile, in Havana, Cubans who have not had any running water for a whole week took to the streets to protest. Maybe they do need such luxuries after all? Naaaah. Those savages weren’t staging a protest. Like all savages, they just like to make noise.
Loosely translated from Marti Noticias
This week, Cuba has experienced the longest power outages in the last three months, according to data released by the state-run Unión Eléctrica (UNE). The outages were caused by multiple breakdowns that forced six plants to be disconnected from the national grid.
In the province of Matanzas, by Thursday night, electricity was only available in the tourist area of Varadero and in hospitals, reported José Miguel Solís, a pro-government journalist who frequently covers issues with the country’s thermal power plants, on Facebook.
“We’re already used to it; this is how Cubans live,” Doris told Reuters while sitting outside her home in Santa Marta, in the municipality of Cárdenas.
On Saturday, the UNE confirmed that on Friday, “the service was disrupted for 24 hours due to a capacity deficit,” with power being restored around four in the morning.
“Over the last two weeks, power cuts have averaged 10 hours a day,” said Ariel Rodríguez, a restaurant worker in Santiago de Cuba.
In March, there were mass protests in that province due to the continuous power outages.
Cubans interviewed by Martí Noticias this week described the situation as “unbearable.” “The blackouts affect all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, where irrigation systems depend on electricity,” said one interviewee from Pinar del Río.
Authorities said at the beginning of the week that the situation would not improve at least until Sunday.
On Saturday, UNE’s forecast showed some improvement. While the maximum power outage on Friday was 1160 MW, according to official data, authorities expected it to be 620 MW today.
Cuba is experiencing one of its worst crises in decades, marked by shortages of basic goods, runaway inflation, and a lack of cash to import fuel and parts for its electrical infrastructure.
“This will be a difficult summer for Cuba,” Jorge Piñón, director of the Latin America and Caribbean Energy Program at the University of Texas, told Martí Noticias in early July.
The expert believes that the situation of the National Electric System is critical due to the lack of maintenance of the units, breakdowns, and generation capacity.
“There isn’t a single unit in the country currently operating at 100 percent,” he said.