Officials in Cuba have warned that the rate of power outages is expected to increase significantly due to fuel shortages, which will aggravate the country’s plight at a time when it is facing food and medicine shortages, Reuters reports.
Local governments have already begun announcing restrictions on energy use at state-run enterprises and other entities, including moves to postpone sports events and university classes.
Energy and Mining Minister Vicente de la O Levy said: We will not get the level of fuel we need or what we had in previous months.
Officials noted that citizens can expect power outages of up to 8 to 10 hours a day starting in October outside Havana, where residents usually survive power outages.
The island is suffering from power outages and shortages of food, medicine and fuel, and Cuba says US sanctions are largely to blame for the crisis, depriving the country of foreign exchange to import most of its needs for fuel, food and other supplies.
Washington says the Communist Party is responsible for Cuba’s ills and the sanctions are aimed at restoring democracy and respecting human rights.
Venezuela, Cuba’s largest oil supplier, has slightly boosted its exports to an average of 58 thousand barrels per day so far this year, from 55 thousand barrels per day in 2022, while delivering more fuel oil for power generation. Cuba has also seen regular imports of crude oil and fuel from Russia and Mexico, according to shipping data.
