After Second Power Outage, 10 Million Cubans Endure Saturday Afternoon Blackout (msn.com) 52
The Miami Herald reports:
Cuba's electrical grid shut down again early Saturday, leaving the island without electricity after authorities tried but failed to restore power following an earlier nationwide blackout on Friday. The island's Electric Union reported a second "total outage" at 6:15 a.m., just hours after officials reported they had restored power in a few "microsystems" all over the island... The country has been going through its worst economic crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union, and the government lacks money to buy oil in the international market to meet domestic demand.
Cubans irked by the daily blackouts defied the country's Draconian laws punishing criticism of the government and left several comments in official news outlets calling for government officials to resign. The second outage will likely exacerbate public frustration as food begins to spoil because of the lack of refrigeration.
Two hours ago, Reuters reported that Cuba's government "said on Saturday it had made some progress in gradually re-establishing electrical service across the island, including to hospitals and parts of the capital Havana..."
"Most of Cuba's 10 million people, however, remained without electricity on Saturday afternoon." Traffic lights were dark at intersections throughout Havana, and most commerce was halted...
Cuban officials have said even if the immediate grid collapse is resolved, the electricity crisis will continue. Cuba produces little of its own crude oil, and fuel deliveries to the island have dropped significantly this year, as Venezuela, Russia and Mexico, once important suppliers, have reduced their exports to Cuba.
Mexico experienced a historic drop in production, according to the New York Times, while Venezuela is selling its oil to foreign companies to ease its own economic crisis: The experts had warned for years: Cuba's power grid was on the verge of collapse, relying on plants nearly a half-century old and importing fuel that the cash strapped Communist government could barely afford... Cuban economists and foreign analysts blamed the crisis on several factors: the government's failure to tackle the island's aging infrastructure; the decline in fuel supplies from Venezuela, Mexico and Russia; and a lack of capital investment in badly needed renewable systems, such as wind and solar.
Jorge Piñon, a Cuban-born energy expert at the University of Texas at Austin, highlighted that Cuba's electricity grid relies on eight very large power plants that are close to 50 years old. "They have not received any operational maintenance much less capital maintenance in the last 12 to 15 years," he said, adding that they have a lifetime of only 25-30 years. "So, number one, it's a structural problem, they are breaking down all the time and that has a domino effect," he said. Compounding the problems, Cuba burns crude oil as a fuel for its plants. Experts said Cuba's own crude oil production is very heavy in sulfur and metals that can impair the thermoelectric combustion process. "So they have to be constantly repairing them, and they're repairing them with Band-Aids," said Mr. Piñon...
"If they can't turn these plants back on there is a concern that this could turn into another mass exodus," said Ricardo Herrero, the director of the Cuba Study Group in Washington. "They are really short on options," he added.
Cubans irked by the daily blackouts defied the country's Draconian laws punishing criticism of the government and left several comments in official news outlets calling for government officials to resign. The second outage will likely exacerbate public frustration as food begins to spoil because of the lack of refrigeration.
Two hours ago, Reuters reported that Cuba's government "said on Saturday it had made some progress in gradually re-establishing electrical service across the island, including to hospitals and parts of the capital Havana..."
"Most of Cuba's 10 million people, however, remained without electricity on Saturday afternoon." Traffic lights were dark at intersections throughout Havana, and most commerce was halted...
Cuban officials have said even if the immediate grid collapse is resolved, the electricity crisis will continue. Cuba produces little of its own crude oil, and fuel deliveries to the island have dropped significantly this year, as Venezuela, Russia and Mexico, once important suppliers, have reduced their exports to Cuba.
Mexico experienced a historic drop in production, according to the New York Times, while Venezuela is selling its oil to foreign companies to ease its own economic crisis: The experts had warned for years: Cuba's power grid was on the verge of collapse, relying on plants nearly a half-century old and importing fuel that the cash strapped Communist government could barely afford... Cuban economists and foreign analysts blamed the crisis on several factors: the government's failure to tackle the island's aging infrastructure; the decline in fuel supplies from Venezuela, Mexico and Russia; and a lack of capital investment in badly needed renewable systems, such as wind and solar.
Jorge Piñon, a Cuban-born energy expert at the University of Texas at Austin, highlighted that Cuba's electricity grid relies on eight very large power plants that are close to 50 years old. "They have not received any operational maintenance much less capital maintenance in the last 12 to 15 years," he said, adding that they have a lifetime of only 25-30 years. "So, number one, it's a structural problem, they are breaking down all the time and that has a domino effect," he said. Compounding the problems, Cuba burns crude oil as a fuel for its plants. Experts said Cuba's own crude oil production is very heavy in sulfur and metals that can impair the thermoelectric combustion process. "So they have to be constantly repairing them, and they're repairing them with Band-Aids," said Mr. Piñon...
"If they can't turn these plants back on there is a concern that this could turn into another mass exodus," said Ricardo Herrero, the director of the Cuba Study Group in Washington. "They are really short on options," he added.
Solution is obviously soalr and wind. (Score:1, Funny)
They should get solar panels from China!
Re:Solution is obviously soalr and wind. (Score:5, Informative)
>> Texas has had more state wide power outages than Cuba
Utter bullshit.
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While certainly not state wide, Texas does lead the country in outages. https://www.texastribune.org/2... [texastribune.org]
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>> While certainly not state wide
I live in Texas, which is run by the corrupt GOP. They do a miserably poor job, but outages are not state wide and are not worse than Cuba.
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They should get solar panels from China!
Solar and wind in an island state ravaged by hurricanes?... Sure you jest. Geotermal and tidal for the win.
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Has there ever been a serious attempt to normalize relations between the 2 countries?
The most sensible option, politics aside, would be for a US company to lay an undersea power cable connecting the main island to the North American grid.
Here, Basslink supplies bidirectional power from Victoria to Tasmania via a 370km connection.
Re:Revolt or STFU (Score:4, Informative)
Time for it to become an US state? (Score:2)
In a few more years most of the formerly Cuban population will be living in the United states, might as well join the US entirely then.
No, they will turn into another North Korea... (Score:1)
Nope, Cuba is Russian's North Korea. A brutal, puppet regime propped up by a superpower whose only reason for existing is a distraction and potentially a base for attack against the West. This is why the current regime hasn't been toppled because if it does get weak, Wagner will be sending people there to make opposition leaders disappear.
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North Korea has a peasant population less exposed to modern mass media and less connected to foreign family. It will be a long long time before Cuba has a similarly indoctrinated population. Also Russia is no super power. Pooh keeps the lights on in North Korea, Putler can't manage that for Cuba.
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Also Russia is no super power.
You can say that again. They're using artillery produced in the 40s [newsweek.com] in their two week operation.
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Only if they bring their delicious recipes.
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Since when does the US get a choice of who immigrates? Hundreds of thousands were caught trying to come in last year, including the ones not caught it won't be too long before most of them are in the US regardless.
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Since when does the US get a choice of who immigrates? Hundreds of thousands were caught trying to come in last year, including the ones not caught it won't be too long before most of them are in the US regardless.
Uh, the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Immigration Act of 1917, the Immigration Act of 1924, etc. Europeans have essentially always gotten a free pass, aside from occasionally turning away a few undesired poor Europeans. But Asians have always been turned away aside from the few times when cheap laborers were needed.
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Why would the US take them. They are resource poor and bring no assets besides people, of which the US has plenty. They would be an economic drain.
Cuba was vegas before vegas, and can be Vegas II again, but no, the cubans want to go at it alone, but under a momre modern non-communist western type govt.
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The Cubans are all coming to the US at a very rapid pace.
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Why does that concern you so much? Are you afraid of becoming a minority? Are minorities treated differently for some reason?
Refugees [Re:Time for it to become an US state?] (Score:2)
Why would the US take them. They are resource poor and bring no assets besides people, of which the US has plenty. They would be an economic drain.
You are unaware of the "Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966"? Cuban refugees have special status. It's legacy of the cold war.
For years all Cuban refugees were accepted into the US, no questions. There was a "readjustment" of the act in 2017 (part of the efforts to normalize political relations with Cuba), but Cuban refugees still have a preferred status on admission to the US.
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In a few more years most of the formerly Cuban population will be living in the United states, might as well join the US entirely then.
It went so well for puerto rico....
The will probably go at it alone, but under a more efficent non-communist govt. Or so they hope.
I live in venezuela, and have a few cuban friends, both emigrants, as well as professionals temporarily here by bilateral agreements in the health sector... and that seems to be the prevalent opinion.
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There're no similarities between Cuba/United States and Ukraine/Russia.
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Both Cuba and Ukraine overthrew a government friendly to a powerful neighbor
Both were invaded by that powerful neighbor, albeit Russia has been more successful
Both have a portion of their territory occupied by their powerful neighbor
Both became clients for their powerful neighbors opponents
Both of their powerful neighbors have threatened a nuclear war over their arming
Both believe they are victims of their neighbor's colonial ambitions.
Both are suffering power blackouts
Of course their are differences.
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Cuba is a top vacation spot for Canada.
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So... why don't they build their own damn cars? I mean, it's been since the 70's that communism was the only party permitted to function in Cuba, ridding them of that nasty capitalism that would stand in the way of progress (aka moving "forward"). They ought to be self sufficient by now. Or, maybe they could depend on the other successful communist countries of the world for t
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I don't necessarily agree with this post, but for Taco's sake let's PLEASE PLEASE do away with the "Troll" mod!
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Embargo (Score:1)
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Maybe the other communist countries could come to Cuba's rescue. The Soviet Union, or East Germany? Ok, I'm obviously joking there. Surely, North Korea will swoop in and affect the necessary repairs to get their comrades back up and running, though.
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Cuba wants to join BRICS. It's not clear if BRICS will let them in, though.
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Why should that matter? Communism should be able to stand on its own two feet, no?
Maybe the other communist countries could come to Cuba's rescue. The Soviet Union, or East Germany? Ok, I'm obviously joking there. Surely, North Korea will swoop in and affect the necessary repairs to get their comrades back up and running, though.
The rest of the world vacations in Cuba. The main thing hurting Cuba is not being able to sell their main export (sugar) to the USA. Hell, Texas has serious power grid problems and nearly had a complete failure https://www.usatoday.com/story... [usatoday.com]
The bottom line with Texas is the power companies won't spend the money to properly winterize their plants. The regulatory body who oversees these plants is headed by cronies and is toothless by design. They can only recommend grid improvements, not mandate them.
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All that without power! Amazing country.
Re:But ... (Score:5, Interesting)
No, Cuba, like other countries but even more so, has worse infant mortality. Here are some common ways to fudge the stats:
* The US tries to save premature births at a younger age than almost every other country, and their lower survival rate biases the results.
* Many countries do not count a birth as official until the baby has survived for a day or a week.
Another example of apples and oranges is murder rates. The UK, for instance, used to, and probably still does, only count a homicide as murder after it gets a conviction. Find a body with three gunshot wounds to the back of the head, and it's not murder until someone is convicted.
You cannot compare stats across borders by numbers alone.
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I'd love to see your citations.
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I spent five or ten minutes googling around. Lots of sites say poor people in the US have higher infant mortality rates, but I only found one that directly addressed comparisons with other countries. It is cherry picked in that I stopped at this first one (searched for "infant mortality comparisons").
https://www.healthsystemtracke... [healthsystemtracker.org]
"International comparisons of infant mortality should be done carefully, though, as some of the variation is likely due – at least in part – to reporting differenc
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The US tries to save premature births at a younger age than almost every other country, and their lower survival rate biases the results. Many countries do not count a birth as official until the baby has survived for a day or a week.
I had a right wing friend try to tell me that. When I asked him for a citation he couldn't give one. It's apparently just a free-floating fact in the right-wingosphere.
Another example of apples and oranges is murder rates.
Ah, argument by changing the subject. No. What is your source for the purported "fact" that the US tries to save premature births at a younger age (while presumably other countries don't count them?)
Re:But ... (Score:5, Insightful)
Given how most developed countries have free health care AND power, I don't think that's the problem here
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Like nearly every other civilized country. Amazing that a rich and prosperous country like the USA can't find a way to keep its citizens healthy without worrying about going bankrupt.
importing fuel (Score:2)
Cuba "burns crude oil as a fuel" to generate electricity, and it all has to be imported. Could they have built solar farms and wind? Sure. Does their failure to do that have anything to do with the US embargo? No.
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Cuba "burns crude oil as a fuel" to generate electricity, and it all has to be imported. Could they have built solar farms and wind? Sure. Does their failure to do that have anything to do with the US embargo? No.
Wind and solar are not practical in an island state ravaged by hurricanes. Tides and geothermal for the win!
Also, they had (in cooperation with Venezuela) a plan to expand and modernize the "refineria cienfuegos", but more than 1 milliard U$D got lost on the road. If the project had completed, instead of burning crude, they could have burnty the less desireable refined product instead, and export the desirable ones for more U$D to keep the infrastructure running.
They have hydro, but most of the 162 plants a
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>> Wind and solar are not practical in an island state ravaged by hurricanes
Yeah they are. And burning imported oil to generate electricity is incredibly foolish.
Watching Americans (Score:2)
Watching Americans enjoy this, while California and friends cans provide enough power.
Priceless.