Deputy Minister Admits Cuba's Power Generation Collapse
The Cuban dictatorship's First Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines admitted Friday that the island's distributed electricity generation has collapsed completely due to fuel shortages, marking the most severe crisis in the National Electric System's history.
Fuel Shortages Paralyze Generation
Argelio Jesús Abad Vigoa made the revelation during a press conference in Havana with journalists and participants of the 'Nuestra América' solidarity convoy. He stated, 'We have run out of the ability to produce electricity through distributed generation, which took us so much effort to recover.' Cuba has received no diesel, fuel oil, gasoline, aviation turbine fuel, or liquefied petroleum gas for three months, halting small engines and power plants promoted under Fidel Castro as backups to the SEN.
Prolonged Blackouts Grip Provinces
Low generation levels disrupt economic and social life across Cuba. Provinces endure blackouts exceeding 20 hours daily. The crisis stems from years of neglect, inefficient management, and U.S. energy sanctions imposed by the Trump administration in late January after capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, severing Cuba's key oil lifeline.
Rising Protests Signal Discontent
Citizen frustration mounts with noise protests in Morón, Santiago de Cuba, and Havana neighborhoods. Trash piles up without fuel for trucks, food spoils, and water pumps fail during outages. Hospitals cancel surgeries, and cancer patients lose refrigerated treatments. The regime's centralized, oil-dependent grid remains vulnerable without diversification.
Regime's Response Falls Short
Abad Vigoa described the situation as unprecedented for the SEN. Distributed generation, once hailed as a solution, now stands idle. The blackout on March 16 lasted 29 hours nationwide before partial restoration, but deficits persist. Satellite data shows 50% drops in electricity use.
This admission underscores the dictatorship's failure to maintain infrastructure amid repression and economic controls. Without fuel or reforms, blackouts will intensify, fueling protests and deepening hardship for 11 million Cubans. International pressure mounts as the regime clings to power.