‘Absolutely no fuel’: Cuba hit by blackouts, protests amid power outages

Cuba has been hit by worsening power outages after the island’s communist government said fuel reserves had run out, as rare protests erupted in neighbourhoods around the capital, Havana. Large parts of eastern Cuba were plunged into darkness on Thursday in the latest round of nationwide electricity shutdowns, while demonstrations over the blackouts broke out in western areas near Havana. Recommended Stories list of 2 items end of list “We have absolutely no fuel, oil, and absolutely no diesel,” Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said during a late Wednesday news conference. “The only thing we have is gas from our own wells, whose production has increased, and domestic crude oil, whose production is also rising,” he said, adding that Cuba was struggling to secure fuel imports. “The situation is very tense. The impact of the blockade is causing us significant harm, and we are still not receiving fuel,” he added. The island, home to about 10 million people, is relying on limited domestic fuel production and solar energy to keep parts of the grid operating, but the electrical system has become increasingly fragile. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel blamed the worsening crisis on US sanctions. “The situation of the National Electric System has become particularly tense in recent days,” Diaz-Canel said in a statement on Wednesday, saying that the country was expected to face a deficit of more than 2,000 megawatts during the evening’s peak demand hours. …