“For five days, from Friday 18 to Wednesday 23 October, Cuban families were deprived, except for a few hours, of electricity, with the anxiety that food would spoil and it would not be possible or very costly to replace it, and many of them lacked running water.” This is how Cuba’s Political Bureau member and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla began his speech before the UN General Assembly, referring to those recent moments when the country’s electro-energy crisis reached a peak, following the disconnection of the National Electric System (SEN).
“Hospitals operated under emergency conditions and schools and universities suspended classes. Entities interrupted their activities and only the vital ones were maintained. The economy came to a halt,” he told the plenary.
In addition, during the blackout, Hurricane Oscar hit the eastern part of the country on October 20 and, despite the efforts of the Cuban Civil Defense, eight people died, including a five-year-old girl, while two are still missing. Satellite photos showed the country to be in darkness and, in addition, subjected to heavy rains and winds.
The diplomat emphasized that, in spite of such conditions, the serenity, understanding and support of the people, who, together with 52,000 workers in the electricity sector, worked with the different organizations to restore stability to the country, was impressive.
“The primary cause of the failure of the National Electric System was the lack of fuel, which affected generation and caused instability associated with the precarious state of our plants, both direct consequences of the extreme measures of economic warfare applied by the US Government since 2019, specifically designed to prevent supplies of fuel, and of parts and pieces for technical maintenance to our plants and electrical facilities, as well as to hinder investment and access to financing,” denounced the Chancellor.
Electricity generation in our nation is highly dependent on imported fuels, and in just one year, the previous U.S. government sanctioned 53 ships and 27 companies associated with shipments to Cuba, he said.

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Cuba was elected yesterday as a full member, by acclamation, of the Commission on Social Development and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, both of the United Nations.
This was announced on the social network X by Party Political Bureau member and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, who stressed that “this election is evidence of the international recognition of our country’s work in these areas.”
The Cubaminrex website explained that, as a member of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the island will actively contribute to global efforts to combat national and transnational crime, and its membership expires in 2027.
It will be a member of the Commission on Social Development until 2029, and will participate in addressing major current global challenges, such as the elimination of poverty, the reduction of inequality and the protection of the environment.