El Vedado, a historic neighborhood in Havana, lies in ruins following the onslaught of Hurricane Rafael, which wreaked havoc across the Cuban capital this week. Powerful winds exceeding 90 miles per hour uprooted trees and tore off roofs and aluminum sheets from homes and buildings.
Debris and fallen branches have rendered streets impassable, while the facades of several iconic structures bear visible scars from the storm's fury. The damage extends to the infrastructure, with toppled utility poles and collapsed drainage systems causing floods and hindering recovery efforts.
Mounting Frustration Amid Persistent Power Outages
The hurricane has further aggravated Cuba's existing energy crisis. Residents of Nuevo Vedado and El Vedado have taken to the streets in protest against the prolonged power outages. Many have been left without electricity for up to 60 hours, sparking pot-banging protests and spontaneous demonstrations demanding swift action.
Authorities admit that repairing the electrical grid could be a lengthy process due to the widespread damage, intensifying the frustration among Havanans who were already grappling with a prolonged energy crisis.