Cuba suffered nationwide blackouts on from October 18–23 after its most important thermoelectric plant broke down. Amid efforts to restore power, Hurricane Oscar made landfall on Cuba’s east coast on October 20, causing destruction and the death of at least seven people.
Cuba’s energy crisis is compounded by the United States’ 62-year blockade of Cuba, which hampers the country’s ability to access essential goods, including fuel needed to generate electricity.
La Joven Cuba is a not-for-profit media organisation that provides coverage and analysis of Cuba. La Joven Cuba’s editorial director Harold Cardenas Lema delivered the following letter to the offices of US congresspeople Jim McGovern and Barbara Lee on October 24.
* * *
Dear Representatives McGovern and Lee,
La Joven Cuba is a non-partisan, non-profit organisation made up of Cuban and US citizens. Thousands of readers access our digital magazine daily for political information about the island and analysis of the relationship between the US and Cuba.
The Editorial Board of La Joven Cuba wishes to express our gratitude for your sustained stance of friendship and concern towards the Cuban people, particularly your recent statements regarding the country’s energy situation and the impact of US government sanctions. As you know, millions of residents on the island urgently need humanitarian assistance. In recent years, shortages of fuel, food and medicine have increasingly affected Cubans’ lives.
On October 18, the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant — the most important in the country — suffered a breakdown that caused the collapse of the National Electric System. This collapse plunged the entire country into darkness, and since then, attempts to restore power have been plagued by further interruptions. To make matters worse, on October 20, Hurricane Oscar made landfall in the easternmost part of the island, worsening the humanitarian crisis for its residents. Reports indicate that at least seven people, including a child, have lost their lives.
Electricity production in Cuba relies on outdated technology that lacks investment and maintenance. Furthermore, the fuel shortage has severely impacted the quality of life for Cubans. For instance, transportation across the country has been reduced to historically low levels, and residents from provinces outside Havana cannot travel to the capital for medical appointments.
Similarly, waste collection in cities has been reduced primarily due to the lack of fuel for operating garbage trucks, leading to the spread of disease. Additionally, in several regions of the country, residents suffer water shortages due to, among other reasons, a lack of fuel for pumping. In fact, one of our editors has gone seven days without receiving potable water at home.
La Joven Cuba does not overlook the poor management by Cuban authorities regarding the administration of limited resources, maintenance planning and infrastructure modernisation. However, we understand that US government sanctions limit access to technology, spare parts and international oil markets. Furthermore, the sanctions prevent ships that dock at Cuban ports from accessing US ports for the following six months, causing shipping companies to refuse to transport fuel to Cuba.
We firmly believe that the US government should end its embargo against the Cuban people and its regime change policy. It is up to Cubans to decide their form of government. However, in the current situation, the US government can act quickly to support the Cuban people for humanitarian reasons.
There is a legal framework for this. 31 C.F.R. §515.591 allows “[p]ersons subject to US jurisdiction [...] to provide services to Cuba or Cuban nationals related to the development, repair, maintenance and improvement of Cuban infrastructure that directly benefit the Cuban people”, specifically including “non-nuclear electricity generation and the electricity distribution sectors”.
Furthermore, we respectfully request that you consider introducing a bill that would further facilitate Cuba’s ability to acquire and transport essential goods for electricity generation. Alternatively, we request your mediation with the current administration to support and relax regulations that allow US companies to sell and transfer technology and fuel to Cuba.
It is a matter of existential importance for millions of Cubans to have access to fuel, spare parts and technology for the country’s electrical system to mitigate frequent power outages. Such action, aimed at allowing the purchase and transport of energy resources, would be a significant step towards alleviating the current humanitarian crisis and returning to normal the electric system.
Once again, we express our gratitude for your dedication and sensitivity to the Cuban people’s situation and respectfully request your goodwill to help mitigate the worsening of this crisis.
[Reprinted from La Joven Cuba.]