According to Reuters, on July 10th local time, due to the US oil embargo, the Cuban national electricity grid was completely paralyzed once again. This is the second major power outage in Cuba this week and the fourth such incident this year.
Cuba's Energy Minister Levey posted on social media: "We are doing everything we can to quickly repair the system and restore the national power grid. Our situation is already difficult, and now it is even more complicated."
Havana resident Rico said that power outages are becoming more frequent. He has long been accustomed to carrying a flashlight with him. "We are prepared for the blockade. It is the blockade that has caused us so much suffering and left us broken. The blockade brings us destruction and hardship."
Since 1962, Cuba has been subject to long-term U.S. sanctions. In January of this year, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed new oil sanctions on Cuba. On May 1st, Trump signed an executive order expanding the sanctions against Cuba further, citing Cuba's ongoing threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy. As a result of these sanctions, the humanitarian and economic crises faced by Cuba have become increasingly severe.
The United States has publicly stated that its policy towards Cuba aims to overthrow the Cuban government and to force Cuba to hold Western-style democratic elections and release the so-called “political prisoners” held by the US.
At the United Nations debate session on the 7th, Cuban Foreign Minister Rodrigo Rodriguez stated that the United States was launching "multidimensional non-traditional warfare" against Cuba, and that this action had become "increasingly brutal" over the past seven months.
He said that the United States is obstructing Cuba's access to fuel supplies through direct threats, unilateral coercive measures, and intimidation of oil vessels. They also take extraterritorial measures with the intention of creating a humanitarian crisis and destabilizing Cuba.
He stated that in recent months, humanitarian disasters have continued to worsen, leading to systematic violations of human rights by the Cuban people, constituting a form of collective punishment.
Rodriguez also mentioned that Cuban families are facing difficulties such as power outages, water shortages, shortages of medicines, food shortages, and high prices of essential goods. The infant mortality rate in Cuba has risen from 4 cases per 1,000 live births to 9.9 cases.
