Cuba, hit by another electrical collapse and Hurricane ‘Óscar’

Havana. The hurricane Oscar made landfall yesterday in eastern Cuba with maximum sustained winds close to 130 kilometers per hour (category 1), at a time when the island’s electrical grid collapsed again, the third failure in 72 hours and a final setback in efforts of the government to restore power, and several nations, including Mexico, offered help to the Caribbean country.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned that action will be taken rigor against those who try to disturb public order in the middle of the blackout. In a government meeting broadcast by the Star Newsthe president, dressed in a military uniform, said that people who try to cause disturbances to public order and participate in acts of vandalism They will be processed accordingly with the rigor contemplated by the revolutionary laws..

Some They act under the guidelines given to them by the operators of the Cuban counterrevolution from abroad.he added.

At the same time, in certain neighborhoods of the capital, cacerolazos of discontent due to the lack of electrical current. Several women with children in their arms came out with pots last night in the populous Santos Suárez neighborhood. Another group closed a street in Central Havana with garbage barricades, according to Afp.

In previous messages on social network X, the president acknowledged that the situation of the electricity system continues to be complexand marked by strong instability. He insisted that the energy crisis stems from the lack of imported fuels due to the US blockade, and stressed that this situation caused the disconnection last Friday, which according to specialists is the worst incident that can occur in a country.

Work was done immediately, a level of connection was achieved. But there was another disconnection on Saturday and work was done all night and into the early morning. Yesterday morning and afternoon, when a more favorable situation was seen, a disconnection occurred again and work is being done again to seek greater stability of the systemDiaz-Canel explained.

On the same social network, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez wrote: We appreciate the efforts and immediate support offered by the governments of Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, Russia and Barbados to address the current situation of the national electroenergy system. Cuba is in talks to finalize the receipt of this aid.

The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, explained that priority is given to restoring electricity in hospital areas and pumping water to the population.

As an additional drawback mentioned the hurricane Oscarwhich affects the eastern end of the island, where they are located strengths of electricity generation.

De la O Levy recognized that the situation in the electrical system is very tense due to the state of the thermoelectric plants, which have accumulated decades of operation without spare parts to guarantee their adequate maintenance, due to the US blockade.

Non-essential school and administrative work remains suspended until Wednesday, in response to the passage of Oscar and the subsequent recovery period, as well as the work on the electrical system.

Faced with the emergency, many began to cook in the streets with improvised wood stoves, before the food spoiled in the refrigerators. Meanwhile, information was shared on social networks about LP gas delivery points, places where prepared foods were sold, and a slogan accompanied some advertisements: In the face of contingencies, solutions.

In parallel, the authorities were organizing measures to deal with the hurricane, which made landfall in the vicinity of Baracoa and Guantánamo, with heavy rains and electrical storms, according to the Forecasting Center of the Cuban Institute of Meteorology. The meteor is expected to weaken over eastern Cuba before turning northeast and approaching the central Bahamas.