There is once again a total power outage in Cuba, this time throughout the entire country. The cause is a “complete collapse of the national power grid,” as the energy authority announced almost laconically. There have been repeated failures in the power grid for a long time, although rarely such drastic ones. The blackouts have to do with a lack of investment, a result of decades of mismanagement. The fact that things are getting worse recently is due to the oil boycott by the USA.
Because Donald Trump wants to bring the country to its knees. For several weeks now, in press meetings and on official occasions, he has repeatedly said that Cuba is about to be taken over. His takeover. Late Monday, Trump spoke about it again to reporters at the White House: “All my life I’ve been hearing about the United States and Cuba. When is the United States going to do it?” he said. “I really believe I will have the honor of taking Cuba.” Whether he “liberates” it or “takes” it: Trump said he could do whatever he wanted with the island nation. “They are a very weak country at the moment.”
Trump’s foreign minister is negotiating in the background
Cuba is actually weakened. Also because after the intervention against Venezuela, Trump banned the country from continuing to deliver oil to Cuba. Trump also put pressure on Mexico – the country had sold oil to Cuba for a while “for humanitarian reasons.” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said his country had not received any fuel deliveries for three months. The electricity supply is based primarily on old oil-fired power plants.
Negotiations between Cuba and the USA are already underway in the background. As the US newspaper “New York Times” reports, the US government has made it clear to Cuban representatives that Washington wants Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel to be removed from power. However, the Communist Party should be allowed to remain in power.
The communists should be allowed to continue to rule Cuba
On Sunday, the US President once again held out the prospect of an agreement with Cuba – but without specifying which topics this should relate to. On Friday, the Cuban government confirmed for the first time that it was negotiating with US representatives. It is about “resolving bilateral differences”.
Apparently US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also involved in the talks. The “New York Times” also reports this. On the Cuban side, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, a grandson of Raúl Castro, is said to be one of the main negotiators.
Large withdrawal movement from Cuba
Cuba has been suffering from mismanagement for decades. Since the lack of oil deliveries, prices have risen significantly and tourism, an important source of foreign currency, is also suffering. However, due to the great repression by the government, there is comparatively little resistance. Many Cubans emigrate for this reason. The New York Times says that, according to unofficial estimates, around two million Cubans have left the country in the last five years alone. That would be about a fifth of the population.
There were riots at the weekend. A group of protesters is said to have vandalized a party headquarters near Havana. But there are no big protests.
On Monday, Cuba’s Deputy Prime Minister Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga spoke to US broadcaster NBC and said: “Cuba is open to flexible trade relations with US companies as well as with Cubans living in the United States and their descendants.” But how far this will go and who will then be in charge in Cuba is still unclear.
Sources: News agencies DPA and AFP, as well as two articles from the “New York Times” (1 and 2)
