Protests erupt in Havana as Cuba struggles to restore electricity

By Dave Sherwood and Ayose Naranjo Reuters

Scattered protests broke out across Havana on Tuesday evening, with residents banging pots, honking horns and shouting “turn on the lights” as millions ‌of Cubans remained without power amid a six-month-long U.S. fuel blockade.

Cuba experienced a nationwide outage on ‌Monday — its third this year — but while authorities said most of the country had been reconnected to the island’s grid by late ​Tuesday, many remained in the dark and without electricity as the island doesn’t have enough fuel.

The country’s grid operator UNE said it had reconnected the grid from Pinar del Rio, in far western Cuba, to Holguin in the east. Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-largest city, remained disconnected and without power, authorities said.

The U.S. in January ‌cut off Cuba’s fuel supply, then ⁠imposed fresh sanctions that have prompted an exodus of foreign businesses and a near-complete collapse of tourism in a bid to force the island’s government to the negotiating ⁠table.

The U.S. is seeking to upend Cuba’s communist-run government and has called for democratic elections and the release of “political” prisoners.

Cuba and the United Nations say U.S. President Donald Trump’s sanctions are a violation of international law and the human ​rights ​of the island’s residents.

Hundreds of exhausted residents in the outlying ​Havana neighborhoods of Jaimanitas and Santa Fe ‌took to the streets while others sat on doorsteps and sidewalks during the hot night, playing dominoes or chatting with neighbors while waiting for power to be restored.

Many, now accustomed to blackouts spanning 30 hours or more, had largely resigned themselves to another night of swatting mosquitoes and little sleep.

“I don’t see a quick fix to this problem,” said Amauri Gonzalez, a local resident who had stepped outside his home for a ‌bit of fresh air. “Our power plants are obsolete and there’s ​no fuel.”

In some areas of Santa Fe, the power returned shortly ​after the pot-banging began, sending protesters scurrying ​to their homes to take advantage.

According to both Cuban and U.S. officials, talks between ‌the two nations have stagnated.

U.S. Ambassador to the ​United Nations Michael Waltz told ​a Tuesday debate on U.S. sanctions at the UN General Assembly that Cuba’s government was to blame for the electricity shortfalls.

“Change your ways and turn the lights back on for your people,” he ​said.

The vast majority of countries that ‌spoke during the debate, however, called on Washington to end the blockade and reverse the ​sanctions that have crippled the island’s economy.

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