As Cuba was beginning to restore electricity after an island-wide blackout, another total collapse of the electrical grid occurred, leaving many alarmed. The government opened an outdoor market in Havana to provide access to food, as refrigerated goods spoiled during the outage. Power outages have been chronic in Cuba for years, worsened by aging infrastructure and the U.S. embargo limiting parts imports. President Miguel Díaz-Canel blamed the embargo for fuel shortages and warned that blackouts would continue regularly even after power was restored. The foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez, emphasized the economic damage caused by the embargo and suggested the U.S. could support Cuba by lifting it. The country’s economic crisis, exacerbated by U.S. sanctions and the pandemic’s impact on tourism, has led to shortages in food, medicine, water, and fuel. The limited supply of oil from Venezuela, Cuba’s main supplier, has further strained the situation. This economic turmoil has driven over one million Cubans to leave the island between 2022 and 2023. The ongoing power outages, economic crisis, and emigration highlight the challenges facing Cuba as it grapples with a lack of resources and outside pressures.
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