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Cubans sleep on Havana's seaside boulevard to seek relief from crippling blackouts and summer heat
PBS • • world
Key Points:
- Cuba experienced its sixth islandwide blackout since January, following U.S. restrictions that cut off the country's main oil supply, severely impacting the energy grid and daily life.
- The blackouts, combined with intense summer heat and high humidity, have left many residents unable to sleep indoors, forcing them to seek relief on Havana's seaside Malecón.
- Rolling power outages now last over 20 hours daily, disrupting access to basic goods, public transportation, and hospital operations, while threatening food preservation and further damaging the tourism sector.
- The ongoing energy crisis has deepened economic hardship and a growing sense of hopelessness among Cubans, despite their historical resilience to sanctions and shortages.
- Authorities continue efforts to restore electricity, but frequent grid collapses and dwindling fuel reserves suggest continued instability in the near term.
