By Dave Sherwood and Nelson Acosta

HAVANA (Reuters)

Cuba's power-grid operator announced that it has restored electricity to most of the capital, Havana, on Monday, despite Tropical Storm Oscar affecting the island's eastern regions, leading to downed trees and power lines.

Storm Impact

Strong winds impacted the area while the storm lingered, uprooting banana plants and damaging homes. State television reported over 10 inches (254 mm) of rainfall in some areas, resulting in landslides and flash floods that isolated outlying regions.

Recovery Efforts

Most of Cuba's eastern tip still faced power and communication outages amidst continuous grid collapses over the last four days. Minister of Energy and Mines Vicente de la O Levy indicated that technicians are proceeding cautiously to prevent further electrical failures.

“The last thing we want is that, as a consequence of a fallen power line, we suffer another collapse of the system,” de la O Levy stated.

By mid-afternoon, officials reported that power had been restored to 89% of Havana, with additional services restored to some outlying regions thanks to the Antonio Guiteras power plant coming online.

The government has closed schools and non-essential industries until Wednesday to focus on electricity restoration.

Infrastructure Concerns

Top electricity official Lazaro Guerra warned against excessive optimism, stating that even with the system coming back online, blackouts might persist due to insufficient generation compared to demand. The national electrical grid had collapsed on Friday prior to the storm, leaving 10 million residents without power.

Cuba’s grid has experienced total or partial failures three times recently, highlighting the fragility of the country's infrastructure amidst ongoing shortages of food, fuel, and medicine.

Public Response

Although Havana was generally quiet, scattered protests emerged in poorer neighborhoods, with residents expressing frustration over the blackouts and shortages. President Miguel Diaz-Canel urged citizens to voice their concerns calmly and without resorting to vandalism, emphasizing the importance of maintaining public tranquility.

Cubans have faced blackouts lasting 10 to 20 hours daily, jeopardizing food stocks and complicating access to essential resources. The government and analysts suggest the grid is critically stressed due to aging infrastructure and fuel shortages.

Cuba cites the U.S. trade embargo and sanctions imposed by former President Trump as significant barriers to acquiring the necessary fuel and maintenance parts for its oil-fired plants, although the U.S. refutes any involvement in the grid failures. Meanwhile, Cuba's allies—Russia, Mexico, and Venezuela—have reduced their exports to the island in recent months.