English Translations of Cubans Writing From the Island
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, September 29, 2023 — In the latest edition of the State TV’s Roundtable program, Cuba’s Minister of Economy Gil reaffirmed the “socialist” model to get the Cuban economy out of the rut, a combination of rejection of the market and a determined commitment to planning that are, in short, the … Continue reading “The Cuban Economy is Close to Collapse”
14ymedio, Havana, 24 September 2023 — Cubans are experiencing another day of blackouts this Sunday, with more than 600 megawatts (MW) of deficit as predicted by the Electric Union (UNE). The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant (CTE), located in Matanzas, is still out of service, and the other generating plants also accumulate a string of … Continue reading “Another Sunday of Blackouts for Cubans With More Than 600 Megawatts of Electricity Deficit”
14ymedio, Havana, September 18, 2023 – A few hours had passed since the closing of the G-77 plus China Summit, held in Havana, when the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, located in Matanzas, left the National Electricity System (SEN), which this Sunday had a deficit of 274 megawatts (MW); today, Monday, it foresees the lack of … Continue reading “The G-77 Summit in Cuba Has Ended, and the Blackouts Return With a New Breakdown in La Guiteras”
14ymedio/EFE, Havana/Moscow, 7 September 2023 — Russia and Cuba addressed, on Thursday, the construction of new generating capacities for power plants on the Island, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Energy in a statement echoed by the Spanish agency EFE. “Electric energy plays a decisive role in the economy of the Republic of Cuba … Continue reading “Russia Will Help Cuba Build ‘New Generating Capacities’ in Its Power Plants”
Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 16 August 2023 — The Cuban communist regime is committed to advancing banking reform — the so-called “bankification” — and now they have gotten into advertising, promoting a campaign in which state banks offer a bonus of up to 6% to customers who pay for goods and services with cards or … Continue reading “Advertising To Attract Consumers to Online Shopping: Another Failure in Sight”
14ymedio, Havana, 9 August 2023 — It is one more year, just at the time of the highest temperatures, when Cubans face the growing shortage of energy and, with it, the dreaded blackouts. For this Wednesday, the Electric Union of Cuba (UNE) forecasts a deficit of 430 megawatts, with an availability of 2,650 MW and … Continue reading “August Doesn’t Offer Cubans a Truce: Blackouts Multiply Throughout the Island”
14ymedio, Havana, 29 May 2023 – – The promise of the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, to have “better conditions” for the supply of electricity to Cuban homes for the hottest months didn’t even last one day. Despite its statements this Saturday in Cubadebate, the Electric Union (UNE) recorded blackouts … Continue reading “Cuba Experienced Blackouts of Up to 20 Hours This Sunday and the Forecasts Don’t Improve”
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 28 May 2023 — If the current scenario is maintained, the forecast for the coming months is that the blackouts will continue and this when now the hottest months of the year arrive, in which consumption becomes more necessary to face the high temperatures. The situation of the national electricity … Continue reading “The Electricity Crisis in Cuba From Bad to Worse: Towards a Long and Warm Summer”
14ymedio, Havana, 24 April 2023 — The misfortunes in the Cuban thermoelectric plants seem to have no end. This Monday, a fire occurred in unit 3 of the Ernesto Guevara Power Plant in Santa Cruz del Norte, Mayabeque, with no casualties or injuries being reported. This block is currently under maintenance, so it will delay … Continue reading “A Fire Delays Repairs at the Santa Cruz Del Norte Thermoelectric Plant in Mayabeque”
14ymedio, Havana, 7 March 2023 — Heat begins to squeeze the inhabitants of the Island, and the demand for energy grows faster than the generation recovers. This Tuesday, many Cubans choked on their breakfasts when Cuban television announced power cuts of up to seven hours in some parts of the Island. “Yesterday in Sancti Spíritus … Continue reading “‘The Blackouts are Taking Off Again’ Throughout Cuba”
14ymedio, Havana, 27 February 2023 — Every day, more workers in the state electricity sector leave their jobs in Cuba. In the first six months of 2022, 21 a day left their jobs; in the following three months, while the country was experiencing the prolonged blackouts of the summer, the number was 26 a day. … Continue reading “Some 10,000 Workers in the Electricity Sector Left Their Jobs in Cuba in 2022”
14ymedio, Havana, February 25, 2023 — The energy collapse that has caused four major blackouts on two-thirds of the Island in just nine days “is unprecedented,” Daniel Pérez García, director of the Electric Company of Ciego de Ávila, acknowledged on Thursday. For the official press, which defines blackouts as “deplorable facts,” the crisis began on … Continue reading “The Energy Collapse of Recent Days is ‘Unprecedented’ in Cuba, Recognizes an Electric Company Employee”
14ymedio, Havana, 22 February 2023 — A massive blackout left much of Cuba without electricity on Wednesday afternoon. It is the second consecutive day for countless residents of the eastern part of the Island and the fourth out of the last ten days. Around 8 at night, the fault had been solved but the energy … Continue reading “The Fault Has Been Fixed, but the Energy Deficit Prevents Power Returning to Part of Cuba”
14ymedio, Havana, 16 February 2023 — The fragility of the Cuban electrical system was evidenced once again. Now “an electrical failure in the use of the plant” has left the Antonio Guiteras de Matanzas Thermoelectric Power Plant out of service since shortly after noon this Thursday. According to a brief statement from the Unión Eléctrica that caused annoyance among users, … Continue reading “Cuba’s Largest Power Plant is Out of Service Due to an Electrical Failure”
14ymedio, Madrid, 14 February 2023 — A fire in a cane field was the cause of the disconnection of the National Electricity System (SEN) that affected half of Cuba this Monday from the center to the east of the Island. The disconnection, from Ciego de Ávila to Guantánamo, occurred around 2 in the afternoon and … Continue reading “A Fire in a Cane Field Caused a Seven-Hour Blackout in the Middle of Cuba”
