- Chinese solar farms will end “daytime” blackouts.
- The money from medical missions has often been used to pay for fuel ships.
- The key question was missing: Why did the government invest hundreds of millions in hotels for tourism instead of public health?
14ymedio, Madrid, 9 April 2025 — “In a few months, during the day, we shouldn’t have any blackouts, because with the photovoltaic source, we’ll be able to survive.” The commitment made by Miguel Díaz-Canel in an interview broadcast this Tuesday with four Spanish journalists will be verifiable in the very short term. The president is once again taking a risk on a sensitive issue for Cubans, who have already seen the same promise vanish twice in 2022.
In May of that year, the president stated that the electricity deficit would improve in June, and only weeks later he assured that “a series of repairs and maintenance” should lead “to stability in the coming months.” Far from improving, the situation has only worsened, but Díaz-Canel continues to stick to his word, knowing that he owes nothing to the electorate.
In the interview, organized jointly by several pro-government channels—Cubainformación, Venezuela News, Televisión Cubana, Ideas Multimedios, and the Cuban Presidency—the president had the opportunity to speak at length about several topics, among which the most pressing question was precisely this one: the blackout. “People complain that we don’t ask these questions, but we’re here to do it,” said one of the journalists, as if by doing so he would put the president on the ropes instead of giving him the opportunity to talk about one of his favorite topics.
“People complain that we don’t ask those questions, but we’re here to do it,” said one of the journalists.
Díaz-Canel lavishly repeated the entire argument offered just two weeks ago by his Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, in a four-part interview published by the State newspaper Granma. He summarized Cuba’s energy matrix, composed essentially of aging, poorly maintained thermoelectric plants and distributed generation that requires enormous quantities of imported diesel and fuel oil.
“We need more than $500 million a year,” he said, just for repairs to the thermoelectric plants, while imported fuel can require $1.5 to $2 billion. The lack of foreign currency has complicated repairs, the purchase of components, and oil stockpiles, leading to an accumulation of problems that, in turn, impedes economic growth and, once again, leads to a lack of capacity for improvement in that system. No one present asked him why hundreds of millions of dollars were allocated to the tourism sector instead.
Díaz-Canel then began the optimistic segment. He spoke about electricity generation through renewable energy, the progressive but accelerated introduction of Chinese solar parks, thermal and distributed energy repairs, domestic panels, and how this will allow for “a better time” next year. He also thanked friendly countries for their collaboration, although he did not provide details on how the agreements and business plans were made. “I can’t explain them clearly so they don’t persecute us, so they don’t attack us, but we have found solutions and alternatives,” he concluded.
The president stated that he had planned to increase pressure on the government since Marco Rubio—”very involved with the anti-Cuban mafia in Miami”—and Mauricio Claver-Carone, both of whom are inclined to put an end to remittance transfers, took office.
“The pretext is that this is handled by an organization that, as they claim, is in the hands of the Cuban military, which is also a lie,” he said, despite the links found between the money transfer management company in Cuba, Orbit SA, and the Gaesa conglomerate, run by the Cuban military. According to Díaz-Canel, the money is received by families and “the State can receive a portion of that income for the services provided or for the ways in which it is consumed or spent,” but this happens in every country without any consequences, he reflected. In his opinion, he said, this demonstrates the intention to economically suffocate and “to bring down the Revolution.”
“The State may receive a portion of these revenues for the services provided or for the ways in which they are consumed or spent,” but this occurs in all countries without any consequences.
It is the same thing, he insisted, that happens with the sanctions targeting medical missions. The president maintained that Cuba often doesn’t receive money in exchange for sending international brigades of health professionals and, on the contrary, covers the costs. But other times, through agreements, it does receive money.
“And what is that money invested in? It’s not to enrich anyone. It’s invested in the healthcare system. And many times, when we’ve been in crisis situations, we haven’t even been able to put it into the healthcare system, and we’ve had to use it to pay for fuel ships, to pay for food ships that have been held up in our ports,” he claimed.
According to Díaz-Canel, the US is bothered by this example, since, while they intervene in other countries through sending military personnel, “Cuba goes with an army of white coats.” He wonders why the US is irritated that this cooperation brings Cuba money with which to “improve the living conditions” of the people. Beyond this, the president conveyed an unusual message of recognition not only to those who leave, who receive constant praise, but also to those who stay, “who then take on the work of their colleagues so that others can raise the name of Cuban health.”
Much of the conversation revolved around the communications battle. Díaz-Canel found time, in response to questions from the four sympathetic journalists, to address the suspension of US government aid to independent media outlets, as well as the situation at Radio and Television Martí — which operate from the United States — about which he even admitted that “the intelligence and creativity of our people” has created “technological conditions that have prevented TV Martí and Radio Martí from reaching out.”
On this point, the president agreed more than ever with the Trump administration—”they have exposed themselves” and “the American people should one day be held accountable for how part of their budget contributions were spent,” he said, among other things—although he stopped distancing himself. “Marco Rubio encourages and supports the policy of counterrevolutionary means against Cuba. Therefore, he will search and lobby to find that money,” he affirmed.
The great crusade is currently taking place, he noted, on social media, where the regime has multiplied its presence since a very specific date. “They set us up on 11 July (2021) [known as ’11J’] with a huge media operation calling for action on social media. At that time, we were hardly on social media. Therefore, we also draw from that experience,” he said. Díaz-Canel then described the new channels created to disseminate the regime’s version of events and the young people trained to fight the battle. “We have accepted the challenge: we are going to fight on social media and we are going to fight to win,” he declared.
“We have accepted the challenge: we are going to fight on social media and we are going to fight to win,” he declared.
The foreign policy part of the conversation included several reflections on relations with the European Union, with which it said it has a space—thanks to the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement—for debate and discussion, including on issues where they disagree, but also for joint projects. These occur primarily in the areas of food development, education, science, sports, and culture, he said. However, he noted that “there are groups that sometimes respond to personal interests, to the interests of a certain ideology, that are very interested in breaking the agreement” and promote those interests in the European institutions or the parliaments of its member states.
The president also mentioned Cuba’s entry into the BRICS as an associate country and heaped praise on an organization in which, he noted, no one is superior. The island will contribute projects, he said, in the fields in which it has the most experience: biotechnology, education, and pharmaceuticals. He also highlighted the essential support from China and Russia, countries whose cooperation with Cuba has commonalities but also differences, he said, although it all came down to the fact that there is more contact with Beijing at the party level because both countries are governed by communism, while with Moscow—whose strong institutional relationship with Havana, he also praised—the business presence was more emphasized.
“Thank you, President Díaz-Canel. We felt comfortable asking questions freely and without restrictions,” one of the interviewers concluded. “And next time I’ll ask you a few questions,” the president concluded with a laugh. And it was clear that the most comfortable person in the room was him.
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