Department of Security and Military Strategic Research and Studies 23-10-2024

In the aftermath of Hurricane Oscar, Cuban authorities are grappling with the storm’s devastating impact, which has left at least six people dead and caused widespread power outages. Officials are working tirelessly to restore electricity across the island, which has been plagued by days of blackouts.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel shared an update on social media on Monday, confirming that at least six fatalities had been reported following the storm’s landfall on Sunday. Hurricane Oscar brought fierce winds and torrential rain, especially to the eastern region of Cuba. Rescue operations are ongoing in several areas as the government continues its efforts to mitigate further damage.

Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy, addressing the nation’s struggles with power restoration, emphasized that the priority is to prevent further system failures. “The last thing we need is another collapse due to a fallen power line,” he stated.

 Power Struggles Continue

While power is gradually being restored in Havana, Cuba’s capital, the situation remains dire across the country. A nationwide blackout on Friday had plunged Cuba’s 10 million residents into darkness, forcing the government to close non-essential businesses and cancel school until Thursday. By Monday, about 90 percent of Havana had its electricity restored, but other regions, especially those hit hardest by the hurricane, remain in the dark. Despite the largest power plant resuming operations, the grid is still unstable.

Residents are wary after earlier optimistic reports of full recovery were dashed by subsequent outages. Many, including Lazaro Guerra, an official in the electricity department, cautioned against expecting the crisis to end immediately. “When the grid comes back online, we cannot assume the blackouts will cease,” Guerra warned.

For some, like 51-year-old unemployed translator Giovanny Fardales, the return of power brought temporary relief. “It’s back!” he messaged jubilantly to Al Jazeera, alongside a photo of a lit lamp. But his optimism was tempered by doubt. “How long until it goes out again?” he wondered, expressing a sentiment shared by many Cubans who have endured rolling blackouts for years.

 Hurricane Oscar’s Impact

Hurricane Oscar made landfall as a Category 1 storm late Sunday in Cuba’s eastern regions. Though relatively small, the storm caused significant damage, with the United States National Hurricane Center reporting waves as high as 4 meters (13 feet) along the coast. The storm weakened as it moved inland but still left a trail of destruction.

In Holguin, Cuba’s fourth-largest city with a population of over 300,000, the storm knocked down trees, damaged homes, and toppled power lines. State television reported widespread damage to roofs and walls in addition to significant outages. Minister de la O Levy expressed hope that the electricity grid would be fully restored by Monday evening or early Tuesday.

Several countries, including Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Russia, have offered assistance, though the specifics of their support have not been made clear.

 A Nation in Crisis

Over the weekend, much of Havana remained in darkness, with only a few places, powered by fuel-run generators, still operational. The streets were mostly empty, save for the presence of a heavy police force. The ongoing outages have only exacerbated the economic struggles Cuba is facing, with inflation, shortages of basic necessities, and a lack of fuel and water already troubling the nation.

President Diaz-Canel took to national television on Sunday night, urging Cubans to remain calm and express their frustrations without resorting to violence. Appearing in military attire, which is a rare sight, Diaz-Canel made it clear that the government would not tolerate disorder or vandalism. “We will not allow anyone to disturb the peace,” he declared.

His message was reminiscent of the massive protests that erupted in July 2021 when blackouts led to public demonstrations. At that time, thousands of Cubans flooded the streets, chanting for “freedom” and expressing anger over widespread hunger and hardship.

With food supplies now dwindling and people resorting to cooking with firewood to prevent perishable goods from spoiling, some residents have once again taken to the streets in frustration. In the southwestern Havana neighborhood of Santo Suarez, people protested by banging pots and pans. One resident, Anabel Gonzalez, a housewife from Old Havana, spoke of her growing desperation after being without power for three days. “My phone is dead, and everything in my fridge is spoiled,” she lamented, pointing to empty shelves.

 Aging Infrastructure and Persistent Challenges

Cuba’s power grid, largely reliant on outdated oil-powered plants, has been struggling for years. Eight aging oil-fired power stations, dependent on imported fuel, are at the heart of the country’s energy crisis. One plant’s failure on Friday triggered the nationwide blackout, according to Lazaro Guerra, an official with the Ministry of Energy.

Although power was briefly restored to a few hundred thousand people on Sunday, the grid soon failed again. In recent years, the Cuban government has turned to leasing floating power ships from Turkey to bolster electricity supply, adding small diesel generators in rural areas. Despite these efforts, the system remains fragile.

Diaz-Canel blamed the energy crisis on the decades-long U.S. trade embargo, which has severely limited Cuba’s ability to access fuel. He also cited the tightening of these restrictions under former U.S. President Donald Trump as a key factor.

Cuba’s current economic challenges have drawn comparisons to the “Special Period” of the 1990s, when the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba’s main Cold War ally, led to widespread shortages and hardship. Today, the sense of despair is palpable, as many Cubans grow increasingly frustrated with their deteriorating quality of life. “We can’t live like this anymore,” said 68-year-old bricklayer Serguei Castillo. “There’s no life here anymore.”