Cuba's Energy Crisis: Workers' Marathon Fight

0:00Tens of thousands of Cubans line Havana's seawall on Friday to honor workers' day, shining a spotlight on electric union crews battling a crumbling, power grid. Island-wide blackouts have dragged on, fueled by fuel shortages tied to the U.S. energy blockade and stalled oil from Venezuela. The crisis hit hard after U.S. moves against Venezuela and early January cut off key shipments, leaving Cuba without oil for over three months until A. Russian tanker dropped 730,000 barrels in late March. Before that, the islands scraped by our natural gas, spotty solar, and failing plants. Workers shared stories of non-stop grind, from accountants marching in support to refinery teams, pulling eight hour shifts to process the new oil. They celebrated with drums and cowbells, staying committed despite the brutal strain on resources. Refining took two weeks, then the government funneled diesel and fuel oil to hospitals, farms, and transport, prioritizing crops like tobacco and corn.

1:02Over full power restoration, things started easing around April 17, with 800 tons of fuel distributed daily out of 1,600 needed, cutting some. Blackouts, but stretching supplies thin, Cuba produces just 40% of its fuel, leaning heavy on imports, and that Russian batch is set to run dry by months end without backups for. The thermal electric plants. That line workers vow to keep pushing 24-7, holding the line for their people. That's the story for today, Canada News Today, Driven by AI.