Cuban economist Pedro Monreal has described the collapse of the electrical system on the island, which has left numerous families without power for nearly 48 hours with no clear solution in sight, as a genuine "energy ruin." Monreal, a frequent critic of the Cuban regime and particularly of the state-run media model—which celebrates triumphs amid scarcity and need—criticized a report from the official newspaper Granma, the Communist Party's propaganda outlet.
In response to a headline from the aforementioned media that read, "Cuba, Battling the Electroenergy Challenge," Monreal retorted that "it's not a 'challenge'; it's an energy ruin as part of the failed centralized planning imposed by the political power." He emphasized that it's "a structural crisis accelerated by the failure of the 'ordering' and complicated by ineffective patches," translating to "a bankruptcy caused by internal decisions."
This Saturday, the widespread blackout continues across the island, despite the regime's announcements of some circuit restorations, which remain insufficient for citizens who have been without electricity for almost two days. The majority of activities in the country are at a standstill.
The limited power supplied in Cuba this Saturday comes from power generators, most of which are inefficient and many of which are broken down, in addition to the fuel consumption required to produce electricity for a very limited number of customers.