A New Season of Blackouts Arrives in Cuba
With the Felton and Guiteras power plants down for repairs
The enormous deficit in electricity is more than double that of the previous day’s, when some provinces reported power outages and internet failures
HAVANA TIMES – In just two hours, a storm of indignant comments has fallen on the Facebook page of Cuba’s State Electric Company (UNE), which announced for Friday January 26th a deficit of 1,010 megawatts (MW) during peak hours. The figure is one of the highest that can be remembered, after November 12, 2023, when it predicted an “affectation” of 1,000 MW. The enormous deficit in electricity is more than double that of the previous day’s (482 MW), when some provinces reported power outages and internet failures to this newspaper.
As warned by UNE, the situation is due to breakdowns in unit 6 of the Maximo Gómez power plant in Mariel; a unit of the Antonio Guiteras in Matanzas; the 5 of Diez de Octubre in Nuevitas; unit 6 of Antonio Maceo in Renté and unit 2 of the Lidio Ramon Perez in Felton.
Although the report places the breakdown in the Antonio Guiteras, the main power plant in the West, it is only two days since the UNE announced the shutdown of the thermoelectric plant for 72 hours for maintenance. Today’s UNE announcement indicates that Mariel’s unit 8 is also undergoing maintenance.
Incomprehensibly, the UNE made the decision to continue with the maintenance of the Guiteras at the same time that the Felton thermoelectric plant, which is the most important in the east of the Island, had just broken down. The failure at the Felton occurred on Sunday, a day after there was no deficit, and only a week after its most recent synchronization with the National Energy System (SEN), on January 15.
In August 2022, at the time of the biggest crisis of the electricity system in the last two years, Raul Castro and Miguel Diaz-Canel visited the plant. The Felton is a mirror in which the state of energy in Cuba is reflected. That day, the president uttered a phrase that haunts the plant. “Felton 1 decides today on the course of the recovery strategy, and its start up is vital for the fulfillment of the objectives set, in the first order, to minimize or eliminate the blackouts by next December.”
If the situation depends on the state of Felton, the infinity of breakdowns it has suffered since then highlights the panorama, aggravated by the (apparently planned) shutdown of the Guiteras, the most important power plant in the west of the Island.
The UNE has pointed out that, for peak hours, “the entry of 6 engines in the Patana de Melones with 90 MW and the entry of unit 6 of the CTE Mariel with 100 MW is estimated,” which will bring little relief. Indignation is already spreading among customers, who in just a month will see the bill for “big consumers” rise.
“Those 1,000 MW are consumed by Havana and paid for by the other provinces,” a user writes, with capital letters that denote his indignation. Most, however, were ironic, knowing that it would be of little use to bother. “That’s great, I’m very happy. New season of the blackout poster. We will see how this season ends and a new one appears. Long live the Ministry and its mysteries,” another mocks.
Minister Vicente de la O Levy, who replaced Liván Arronte after the catastrophe of 2022, is now in the crosshairs, and a few days ago his ministry reported that in 2023 there were 70% fewer blackouts than the previous year. But not everyone supports him. “The minister is going too far with his fantastic strategy. The other guy was better,” says another commentator.
Translated by Regina Anavy for Translating Cuba
Stephen Webster concludes: “So it would be possible but only if the cuban gov wants it to happen”.
So, what you’re concluding is that everything you stated is realistically possible if only the Cuban government wants it to happen? Is that correct?
Stephen, in any diplomatic relationship between two countries it takes two to tango. In a Canada and Cuba scenario, number one, Canada will not overtly or covertly be seen entering diplomatic arrangements with communist Cuba. Remember, Cuba and Russia are ideological soul mates and Russia and Canada are diplomatic enemies. Stephen, how do you square that circle?
Canada knows full well it cannot be seen fraternizing politically with Cuba. Canada’s number one trading partner – the US – will not accept Canada abetting a United States enemy. Moreover, the U S has declared Cuba a “terrorist” state for its own political agenda. Whether that has any merits is another discussion.
Nevertheless, Canada has gone along with that controversial claim. Remove the politics and Cuba is no more a terrorist state as any other Western country. In the final analysis, though, Canada has to play by the diplomatic dance orchestrated by our neighbour. Canada can ill afford to offend the hand that feeds it.
Why would Cuba go along with sending farm workers to Canada, and as you state, for these Cuban “ . . . workers keeping half the wages they earn.” Does the Cuban government allow medical doctors or any Cuban professional who go on missions to foreign lands are they allowed to keep half the wages they earn? Absolutely not. So why would the Cuban government “allow” farm workers to keep half their wages? Again do not use Western philosophy to support Cuban entrenched decision makers.
Avail yourself about how totalitarian states treat their citizens. Cuban citizens are the sole possession of the communist state and their purpose is to serve the ideology of the state. If you want the Cuban government to change its communist ideological policies, they will kindly tell you: Adios amigo!
Stephen, the Cuban government has been operating according to its 1959 Revolution ideals for well over 65 years. They, the totalitarian leaders, are vehemently entrenched in their ideology and there is nothing that, at least so far, any Western country can do to remedy their plight. The Cuban people on the other hand, those with sufficient resources, flee to countries like Canada, Europe, the United States and contribute to the betterment of their new home.
The Cuban government for the foreseeable future has no will to radically change and Canadian diplomats and politicians know that so why beat a dead horse? Canadians can definitely help Cuban friends and families by visiting the island and bringing with them much needed medicines, clothing, toiletries, school supplies, all greatly needed and very much appreciated.
Canada has bunkhouse for farm workers
The workers from Jamaica are pushing for higher wages and Canada is having many problems with people of certain non Christian religions
Canada will still bring in a limited number of foreign workers
We have over 300 000 people in tents including myself as to rent a 2 bedroom apartment is $2000 cd a month or $1400 in rural areas in Toronto or VA it is $3000cd or $2,150 U S a month
To bring in of farm workers and mechanics for 1 month of training and 8 month work contract would benefit both Canada and Cuba
It is possible to live in bunk trailers and military tents from April to Dec with proper heaters in leamington and parts of B C. At this time a taxi driver or a bar girl can make more $ than a nurse or a doctor
The only way cuba could afford to pay those wage rates is a major change in the the way the business economy operates in Cuba
We having a lot of problems with people that are coming as migrants that the gov has be putting up In hotels better than people in Canada can afford. So it would be possible but only if the cuban gov wants it to happen
Stephen Webster writes: “Send 2000 farm workers and mechanics to ont Canada for contracts from April to Dec with the workers keeping half the wages they earn.” This will never happen.
Stephen, have you been keeping up with the latest news in Canada? The Canadian government, specifically the Canadian Immigration Minister, has drastically reduced the number of international students entering Canada. Specifically in Ontario that number will be reduced by 50%.
Now, in your analysis you want Canada to accept a multitude of foreign workers? Where exactly are these workers going to be housed? Canada, specifically Ontario, has a stupendous housing shortage. Moreover, Cuba and Canada two ideologically opposed countries will never sit down and agree to such an endeavour you propose. It will never happen.
Furthermore you write: “ . . . raise the wage to min of $100 a month for nurses and teachers and $200 a month for doctors plus a electric scooter. “ Where is the Cuban government going to get the financial funds to raise wages by such extremes? A Cuban doctor makes, monthly, about $25.00 American dollars. A teacher and a nurse makes less than that.
You propose to quadruple ($25×4=$100) wages in a poverty stricken country that ideologically considers state workers, like Cuban medical professionals plus teachers, to be subservient to the state’s communist ideology. The Cuban totalitarian state decision makers do not think like persons living in a Western democracy. The totalitarian rulers subject their citizens to their authority not to market forces like in Canada.
Plus think about the economic consequences of dramatically raising wages. Economics 101 will give you the straight forward answer. Inflation will sky rocket. Cuba’s inflation rate is something like 30% depending on whom you believe. We in Canada cry when the inflation rate rises to a measly 8%. Ordinary Cubans are struggling with their exorbitant amount. Raise wages, as you suggest, and this will add more suffering for the ordinary Cuban. Not a good idea.
Stephen, Cuban solutions are great but they must be realistic.
Instead of building more hotels look at a longer term plan to build 3 new natural gas or coal power plants plus upgrade or a new nitrogen fertilizer plant change the economic model raise the wage to min of $100 a month for nurses and teachers and $200 a month for doctors plus a electric scooter . Provide 20 yr leases to 50% of the farmland that is currently growing the least to co op enterprise from outside countries let them have 2000 to 4000 acres each plus small repair and manufacturing plants allow up to 20 co op. To go together to hav a food processor and to supply to independent wholesale. This has worked ot very well in mexico and many co ops in Canada do a much better job than the gov tell the co op to pay the workers $2 u s / hr plus $1 hr to the gov for child care education and health care to be used locally. Only if this happens can cuba be turned around we need free trade zones as labor costs in cuba can compete with India and mexico AZ the work force is better educated and is willing to work 50 hrs a week if well fed
Send 2000 farm workers and mechanics to ont Canada for contracts from April to Dec with the workers keeping half the wages they earn.
It’s projected to be a hotter (and wetter) than normal summer this year in Cuba due to the global effects of El Niño. Now, on top of the increased demand for power because of air-conditioning, the economic geniuses in charge in Cuba will also implement rate hikes and ,for good measure, blackouts? The hits just keep on coming, don’t they?