Maduro’s capture deepens Cuba’s energy crisis

The island has suffered from a serious energy crisis since the summer of 2014 due to two structural factors: the lack of foreign exchange to import oil in sufficient quantity and the frequent failures of its obsolete thermoelectric plants.

Added to this is the uncertainty following the US operation that resulted in the arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, as Caracas was the main supplier of crude oil to Havana.

UNE, linked to the Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines, estimates a generation capacity of 1,560 megawatts (MW) and a maximum demand of 3,200 MW during the afternoon and night.

The deficit — the difference between supply and demand — will be 1,640 MW, and the estimated impact — the amount that will be effectively disconnected to avoid disorderly blackouts — will reach 1,670 MW.

Currently, five of the 16 thermoelectric plants in operation are out of service due to breakdowns or lack of maintenance. This energy source represents approximately 40% of Cuba’s energy matrix.

Furthermore, 116 distributed generation plants (generators) are not operating due to lack of fuel (diesel and fuel oil). Furthermore, around 15 others are shut down due to lack of lubricants.

Independent experts indicate that the energy crisis in Cuba arises from the chronic underfinancing of this sector, which has been completely state-owned since the 1959 Cuban revolution.

Several independent estimates suggest that between US$8 billion and US$10 billion would be needed to stabilize the electrical system. In turn, the Cuban regime points to the impact of American sanctions on the sector and accuses Washington of “energy strangulation”.

Prolonged daily blackouts are seriously damaging the economy, which has contracted more than 15% since 2020, according to official data. They were also the trigger for the main protests in recent years.