Cuba’s Power Restoration Plan Faces Challenge as Hurricane Oscar Nears

Cuba’s government has assured that most of the island will have power restored by Monday, despite facing the imminent arrival of Hurricane Oscar. The island has been experiencing power outages since Friday, affecting 10 million people after its main energy plant failed. While electricity was partially restored on Saturday, another collapse occurred overnight, leaving many without essential services such as water and refrigeration. As the storm approaches, fears grow that it will further damage Cuba’s fragile energy infrastructure, prompting emergency measures.

The government has declared that all non-essential activities, schools, and nightclubs will remain closed until Monday, and has urged non-essential workers to stay home to conserve power. President Miguel Diaz-Canel emphasized the urgency of protecting citizens and economic resources in preparation for the storm’s arrival. Hurricane Oscar, a Category 1 storm with winds reaching 85 mph, is expected to make landfall in the eastern regions of Guantanamo or Holguin. The National Hurricane Center warns of potential flash flooding and mudslides in these areas.

Cuba’s energy and mining minister, Vicente de la O Levy, expressed confidence that power would be restored for the majority of the population by Monday night, with the remaining customers potentially receiving service by Tuesday. However, the widespread outages and the arrival of Oscar highlight the vulnerabilities of Cuba’s aging energy grid, which has been exacerbated by the U.S. embargo and ongoing fuel shortages. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero, addressing the blackout crisis, pointed to infrastructure deterioration and rising energy demand as contributing factors to the repeated failures.

The situation has also placed a strain on hospitals and other essential services, with growing concerns about the prolonged power disruption and the impact of the incoming storm. Many families have resorted to cooking with firewood, and social media users have expressed mounting frustration over the continuing outages.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez reiterated that lifting the U.S. embargo could alleviate the energy crisis, stating that without these sanctions, blackouts could be avoided. As the island braces for the impact of Hurricane Oscar, authorities are racing against time to restore services and safeguard citizens.