Who’s to Blame for Cuba’s Blackouts?

On Friday, October 18th, a nationwide power outage impacted Cuba, an island nation with a population of approximately 11 million people. The blackout ironically followed just hours after the government announced energy conservation measures aimed at alleviating the country’s ongoing energy struggles. The immediate cause of the outage was attributed to operational issues at the Antonio Guiteras power plant in Matanzas, yet this crisis is a symptom of far deeper issues. Cuba has been grappling with critical fuel shortages for weeks, a challenge compounded by its long-decaying energy infrastructure that has suffered from years of neglect. Though the island is used to food and fuel shortages, this is the worst energy crisis to hit the country. 

Cuban Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy has pointed to the island’s crippling energy infrastructure as a consequence of its inability to obtain essential parts and supplies, largely due to U.S. sanctions that have been in place for decades. These sanctions restrict trade, travel, and financial transactions with the United States, limiting Cuba’s access to various necessary goods and services. Cuban officials have consistently argued that the U.S. sanctions severely impact the country’s economy and infrastructure, leaving them unable to import key resources required to maintain essential services.

However, in the case of the recent blackouts, some have pointed the blame toward the Cuban government. They say that the government’s prioritization of heavy investment in the tourism sector has diverted funds and attention away from critical domestic needs, including infrastructure maintenance and improvements. Truly understanding the inner workings of the Cuban government, however, is a challenge, as the government ranks poorly in transparency and safeguards against corruption. 

While the root causes of Cuba’s current crisis are complex and may not have easy solutions, one thing is certain: the Cuban people are struggling from the power outages and recent hurricanes, and they need help. 

Previous
Previous

Leading by Example

Next
Next

Foreign Policy Under Trump 2.0