Blackouts in Cuba: The Energy Blockade That Goes Unnamed

Every day, more voices rise against the blackouts in Cuba. And it is understandable: power outages generate discomfort and overwhelm the population.

However, much of the discontent is directed exclusively toward the Government and national leaders, with language charged with frustration but with little in-depth analysis.

The truth is that few mention the structural cause: the economic blockade and the energy siege imposed by the United States government. To put the problem in perspective, one fact suffices: in the first seven months of the year, only one ship with oil has docked at a Cuban port. Eight are needed monthly. That is, out of the 56 shipments required, only one has arrived.

Faced with this reality, any sensible observer would understand that no country — except Cuba — would have endured such a crime of suffocation without collapsing. Reflecting on this does not absolve internal responsibilities, but it places the debate in its proper dimension.