‘How do we get to tomorrow?’: Cuba endures nationwide blackout amid worsening energy crisis
Cuba is facing a nationwide blackout, the latest in a series of power outages that have plagued the island for months, compounding the hardships of shortages in essential items and a worsening energy crisis. Andrew Voisin, a Canadian who has lived in Cuba for a decade, described the daily struggles residents face in an interview with WESH 2 News. “The day to day is a struggle. How do we get to tomorrow?” Voisin said. Despite the challenges, he shared his appreciation for life on the island. “I enjoy my life here. It’s one of those things where I had lots of nice things in Canada that I don’t have here, especially after my divorce, I lost a lot. But those aren’t the things that really make somebody happy,” he said. Voisin runs a TikTok account called Cuban Connections Channel, where he documents life in Cuba and the resilience of its people. “The Cubans, I don’t know how they do it but they always have a positive attitude. You still see people joking and laughing in the worst of times,” he said. The frequent and prolonged blackouts are taking a toll on daily life. “It’s hard. We can’t sleep at night. There are mosquitoes here and without a fan you have this buzzing around your head, you put a blanket over your head and it’s hot,” Voisin said. He also described the challenges of accessing water. “Typically, the water would be pumped to each house by the government. With the fuel shortage, we go without. The other day, between two days, we went without electricity for 33 hours,” he said. Ricardo Torres, a Cuban-born economics professor, explained the broader impact of the energy crisis. “People cannot reliably refrigerate food or cook, pump water, charge phones or even sleep normally,” Torres said. “The energy crisis is one of the most visible signs of a very difficult, dire economic situation that Cuba is seeing right now.” Torres noted that U.S. actions in Venezuela have disrupted oil shipments to Cuba, worsening the situation. “This energy crisis is not just the result of recent fuel shortages. This is the result of many years of underinvestment, poor maintenance, and bad policy choices,” he said. Luis Martinez Fernandez, a former UCF professor and expert on Cuban history, echoed Torres’ concerns. “There are many, many problems other than the fact that the oil has stopped coming from Venezuela,” Fernandez said. “I’ve been studying Cuban history for over 40 years and I’ve never seen a more desperate situation on the island.” Both experts pointed to the failing electrical grid and the impact of U.S. policies as contributing factors. “What we see today with Donald Trump, strongly inspired by Marco Rubio who is a Cuban-American, is a stronger pressure,” Fernandez said. “Someday, I hope the ideals of Jose Marti and so many others who fought for freedom in Cuba throughout its history will come back alive,” he said. Torres added there is no easy or inexpensive way out of this crisis. “It will take years and billions of dollars in investments for the country to first recover and then eventually expand and meet the needs of the growing economy and population,” he said. Voisin shared a sense of cautious optimism among Cubans. “Everyone kind of feels like this is a time we’re going to have to live through, but it’s not going to be forever. A change is coming,” he said. Despite the challenges, Voisin said that Cubans remain steadfast in their commitment to sovereignty.
Cuba is facing a nationwide blackout, the latest in a series of power outages that have plagued the island for months, compounding the hardships of shortages in essential items and a worsening energy crisis.
Andrew Voisin, a Canadian who has lived in Cuba for a decade, described the daily struggles residents face in an interview with WESH 2 News.
“The day to day is a struggle. How do we get to tomorrow?” Voisin said.
Despite the challenges, he shared his appreciation for life on the island.
“I enjoy my life here. It’s one of those things where I had lots of nice things in Canada that I don’t have here, especially after my divorce, I lost a lot. But those aren’t the things that really make somebody happy,” he said.
Voisin runs a TikTok account called Cuban Connections Channel, where he documents life in Cuba and the resilience of its people.
“The Cubans, I don’t know how they do it but they always have a positive attitude. You still see people joking and laughing in the worst of times,” he said.
The frequent and prolonged blackouts are taking a toll on daily life.
“It’s hard. We can’t sleep at night. There are mosquitoes here and without a fan you have this buzzing around your head, you put a blanket over your head and it’s hot,” Voisin said.
He also described the challenges of accessing water.
“Typically, the water would be pumped to each house by the government. With the fuel shortage, we go without. The other day, between two days, we went without electricity for 33 hours,” he said.
Ricardo Torres, a Cuban-born economics professor, explained the broader impact of the energy crisis.
“People cannot reliably refrigerate food or cook, pump water, charge phones or even sleep normally,” Torres said. “The energy crisis is one of the most visible signs of a very difficult, dire economic situation that Cuba is seeing right now.”
Torres noted that U.S. actions in Venezuela have disrupted oil shipments to Cuba, worsening the situation.
“This energy crisis is not just the result of recent fuel shortages. This is the result of many years of underinvestment, poor maintenance, and bad policy choices,” he said.
Luis Martinez Fernandez, a former UCF professor and expert on Cuban history, echoed Torres’ concerns.
“There are many, many problems other than the fact that the oil has stopped coming from Venezuela,” Fernandez said. “I’ve been studying Cuban history for over 40 years and I’ve never seen a more desperate situation on the island.”
Both experts pointed to the failing electrical grid and the impact of U.S. policies as contributing factors.
“What we see today with Donald Trump, strongly inspired by Marco Rubio who is a Cuban-American, is a stronger pressure,” Fernandez said. “Someday, I hope the ideals of Jose Marti and so many others who fought for freedom in Cuba throughout its history will come back alive,” he said.
Torres added there is no easy or inexpensive way out of this crisis.
“It will take years and billions of dollars in investments for the country to first recover and then eventually expand and meet the needs of the growing economy and population,” he said.
Voisin shared a sense of cautious optimism among Cubans.
“Everyone kind of feels like this is a time we’re going to have to live through, but it’s not going to be forever. A change is coming,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Voisin said that Cubans remain steadfast in their commitment to sovereignty.