October 26th 2024.
By Andrea Rodriguez and Milexsy Duran | Associated Press
The small town of Cuba was slowly recovering on Tuesday from the devastating flood that resulted in the loss of seven lives. The tropical storm named Oscar had hit the eastern coast of the island, bringing along strong winds and heavy rainfall.
Meanwhile, in the capital city of Havana, the situation was slowly improving after a massive blackout caused chaos and a few protests. The government had issued a stern warning that any form of unrest would not be tolerated and would be dealt with severely.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel, in a statement on state television, informed that the rescue and recovery efforts were still ongoing in the town of San Antonio del Sur. He also mentioned that some flooded areas had not been accessible yet. Sadly, another death was confirmed in the small town of Imias in the province of Guantanamo.
In Havana, people were seen lining up to collect subsidized food on Tuesday. They were aware that the country was going to face a long and challenging recovery period. One resident, Carlos López, mentioned that there were queues everywhere due to the limited supply of food and the presence of obstacles.
As the tropical storm Oscar lost its strength and moved towards the Bahamas, it left behind up to 4 inches of rain in the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
A resident of central Havana, Modesto Hernández, expressed his frustration by stating that he and others were unaware of the situation and demanded immediate solutions. He also added that the country was in dire need of help.
President Díaz-Canel had warned on Sunday through a national television broadcast that any form of vandalism or disturbance would not be tolerated. These protests were the latest in a series of similar events that had taken place in the last three years. These were a result of the country's ongoing economic crisis, which has forced many Cubans to flee to the United States and other parts of the world.
While the Cuban government and its allies blame the United States for the economic problems due to its trade embargo on the island, the White House's press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the Cuban government's mismanagement of resources and its economic policies had worsened the situation for the people.
Electricity, which has been relatively cheap in Cuba, has become increasingly unavailable. On Monday, the government stated that it was producing only 1300 megawatts of electricity, whereas the peak demand was 3 gigawatts. As a result, 80% of Havana was facing intermittent power supply, causing fear and uncertainty among the residents. Due to this, schools remained closed until at least Thursday.
Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy mentioned that the aftermath of the tropical storm Oscar would add to Cuba's recovery problems as it would affect major power plants like Felton in Holguín and Renté in Santiago de Cuba.
With the power outages, people were seen cooking on improvised wood stoves on the streets to prevent their food from spoiling. They also had to wait in long queues to purchase subsidized food as most gas stations were closed.
The recent blackout was considered to be the worst since Hurricane Ian hit the island in 2022, damaging the power installations. It took several days for the government to restore electricity.
Initially, local authorities had claimed that the increased demand for electricity from small and medium-sized companies and residential air conditioners had caused the blackout. However, it was later revealed that the situation had worsened due to the lack of maintenance of old thermoelectric plants and the shortage of fuel to operate them.
In other news, the Bay Area is currently experiencing planned power shutoffs due to the arrival of a wind storm. This is a preventive measure to avoid potential wildfires. In the past, such power shutoffs have been implemented to combat extreme fire conditions. However, this has caused inconvenience to thousands of PG&E customers, leading to widespread criticism.
To stay updated on the situation in Latin America and the Caribbean, follow AP's coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
