(14 Feb 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Havana, Cuba – 14 February 2025
1. Various of people in streets in front of closed school
2. Various of closed school
3. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) María Elena Sánchez, school custodian:
“We are closed due to the energy situation in the country. It is because of the blackouts… to save energy.”
4. Mid of closed wedding dress store
5. Close of sign reading (Spanish): "Closed"
6. Local resident, Paula Pastoriza, standing in the street
7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Paula Pastoriza, local resident:
“We spend many hours without light (electricity), and I believe the state can improve the situation a bit. What remains is hope and faith. Let’s see …”
8. People in the street
9. Local resident, Mauricio López, serving customers at door of his store
10. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Mauricio López, local resident:
“Given the way things are heading down this path (regular blackouts) I hope things get fixed before that (energy) collapse happens.”
11. People taking gas in canisters out of a car while in line to fill up with gas
12. Closed gas pumps
13. Cars lined up waiting for fuel
14. Various of traffic lights with no power, policewoman directing traffic
STORYLINE:
After days of blackouts that left more than half of the country in darkness, Cuban authorities have ordered the suspension of classes and work activities.
The measure will also be extended to Saturday, a day when there are few schools in operation but which is a working day on the island.
A communiqué from the Ministry of Labour, aired on Cuban television news, stated that the measure was meant to "ration consumption" and "to alleviate the effects on the population."
The energy situation which has been tense for months, worsened again on Wednesday when the authorities indicated that the deficit in the supply of electricity would reach 56%.
A similar percentage was experienced on Thursday.
This means that during peak hours – between the afternoon and the evening – more than half of the country is in darkness.
Authorities attributed difficulties to several breakdowns in the largest thermoelectric power plants while others are offline for maintenance.
Additionally, there is a lack of fuel to operate the smaller plants distributed across the country, along with two floating plants contracted from Turkey to address the shortage that has begun to worsen in recent years.
Long lines formed at gas stations in Havana as people waited for electricity to return to turn on the fuel pumps—if there was gasoline.
In 2024, the national energy system suffered three complete collapses, leaving nearly 10 million residents of the island entirely in the dark.
Mauricio Lopez, a retired resident of Havana, expressed concern over the latest energy shortage.
Authorities outlined a plan to install solar energy parks this year with the hope of generating more power, but it might be too little, too late for the summer months when air conditioners and fans need to run at full capacity.
AP Video shot by Ariel Fernández and Milexsy Durán
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