Less than a month after Cuba faced an energy crisis with sweeping blackouts, the socialist island was hit by Hurricane Rafael
Mulgoba neighborhood, Boyeros municipality in Havana is impacted by Hurricane Rafael (Photo: Photo: Enrique González (Enro)/Cubadebate)
Cuba has begun its recovery process after being hit with a new wave of blackouts due to the intense winds of Hurricane Rafael, a category 3 storm, leaving millions without electricity on the island. The magnitude of the impact remains unclear, but forecasters warned of “life-threatening” storm surges, winds, and flash floods.
The hurricane has since left the island after directly impacting the western part of the country, especially in the provinces of Artemisa and Mayabeque. The situation continues to be dangerous, however, with ongoing showers and wind gusts.
Cuban officials have stated that recovery efforts are underway. “Recovery is focused on Artemisa, Havana and Mayabeque,” said Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez. “The SEN is already being recovered from the center to the east, and the damage in the west is being assessed in order to begin recovery there as well. We are standing and fighting.”
The general director of Electricity of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Lázaro Guerra Hernández, stated that electricity supply has been successfully restored in an area from Matanzas to Sancti Spíritus, and now they are working on restoring electricity to Holguín.
Cuban officials from the National Electric Union have stated that parts of the electrical system were disconnected as a precautionary measure ahead of the passage of the hurricane.
Félix Estrada Rodríguez, director of the National Load Dispatch of Unión Eléctrica (UNE), said on Cuban TV that when the gradual disconnection of the different circuits was being carried out as a measure against the passage of Hurricane Rafael, the winds caused several shots in the distribution circuits and the SEN was disconnected.
Only minutes after the SEN failure, electricity was already available in several circuits in Las Tunas.
He added that the energy islands in the central and eastern regions are being prepared, while in the western part of the country the weather event is expected to pass in order to inspect the transmission lines and resume distribution.
Rodríguez added that although the power outage was abrupt, no breakdowns have been reported in the thermoelectric power plants (CTE) on the island.
This happens less than a month after Cuba faced an energy crisis with nation-wide blackouts and was hit by Hurricane Oscar, resulting in eight deaths.
#URGENTE | Nuevo APAGÓN MASIVO afecta a toda Cuba en medio del paso del Huracán Rafael, categoría 3. Los vientos intensos provocaron la desconexión total del sistema eléctrico nacional, dejando a millones de cubanos y cubanas sin acceso a electricidad. #CubaNoEstáSola
— ALBA Movimientos (@movimientosalba) November 6, 2024
US-based activists quickly responded with a solidarity fundraising campaign, titled “Let Cuba Live” for humanitarian aid, and squarely denounced US sanctions and blockade as being the root of the energy crisis. “The Trump-Biden sanctions are making this energy crisis and natural disaster worse for the Cuban people,” stated key “Let Cuba Live” organizer and Executive Director of the People’s Forum, Manolo De Los Santos.
Activists and leaders in the Latin American and Caribbean region worry that US sanctions will worsen with Trump’s victory. In addition to the existing US blockade against Cuba, Trump added 243 additional sanctions on the island in his short time in office, as well as placing Cuba on the US’s State Sponsors of Terrorism list.
“Under Trump, the blockade was tightened, and now his allies are seeking to take advantage of the natural disaster to increase their attack,” writes ALBA Movimientos, a platform of social and political organizations from across Latin America and the Caribbean. “In this context, it is crucial that the international community and caring peoples of the world raise their voices in solidarity. We cannot allow the tragedy to be used as an excuse to intensify the blockade and promote regime change on the island.”
