Cuba struggles: Major power outages and severe food shortages
Cuban media reports that electricity, food, and even water shortages are becoming increasingly noticeable. The realities in the country, which is a dream destination for many tourists, are not hidden by independent or pro-government journalists.
8:57 PM EDT, August 16, 2024
The portal Cuba Debate, citing the state-owned electricity company Union Electrica, noted that the island has an average daily power deficit of 550 MW. Power outages in most of the country's territory have already lasted several hours.
The largest power outages on Friday occurred in areas including Santa Cruz Del Norte, Camaguey, Nuevitas, Cienfuegos, and Matanzas.
Power shortages are leading to difficulties in water transmission. According to the independent Ciber Cuba, drinking water shortages are exacerbating difficulties in food production. Cuban media report that the situation is particularly dramatic in the eastern town of Sagua de Tanamo, where water supply interruptions have been recorded for over two months.
Food production drastically down
Throughout the country, food shortages in stores are becoming increasingly visible. Independent media report that only rice and sugar were supplied in mid-August without problems.
Poor living conditions for the island's residents are worsened by Cubans' declining purchasing power and rising fuel prices. The decline in food production is becoming more severe, and even the Cuban government admits this.
According to data from the National Office of Statistics and Information (Onei) in Havana, food production in Cuba has dropped by almost 67 percent in the past five years. The government-affiliated Cuban institution noted a significant reduction in production, especially of pork and bread.
Why it is so bad
A week ago, the portal 14ymedio reported that the island's stores lacked powdered milk, poultry, oil, sausage, and pasta.
The government-affiliated newspaper "5 de Septiembre" confirmed this, which stated that the increasing food shortages result from price caps and vigorous black market activity in Cuba. According to the newspaper, food products are massively bought by people conducting street trade.
Human rights organizations point out that the increasing food shortages in Cuban stores are deepening the poverty of the Caribbean island's residents.
Other unfavorable phenomena for citizens have also been noticeable in Cuba in recent months. In addition to power and water outages, these include rising fuel prices and declining agro-industrial production.
In July, the Cuban government announced that it would strengthen price controls and combat tax evasion – reported Reuters, assessing it as a desperate attempt to control the budget deficit and inflation within the framework of actions referred to by the authorities as a "war economy."
