Cuba received 15,000 tons of rice donated by China, the first shipment of 60,000 committed to mitigate food shortages. The crisis is worsening due to the end of Venezuelan oil, with blackouts lasting up to 22 hours in Havana affecting 64% of the territory. The island requires 100,000 barrels per day, but only produces 40,000.
Obsolete technology and a collapsed electrical system ⚡
Cuba's energy crisis is not just about fuel; thermal power plants, decades old, operate at 30% of their capacity. Lack of investment and the US embargo prevent importing spare parts and solar panels. Revitalizing the system requires between 8 and 10 billion dollars, an impossible figure without external financing. Each blackout forces sensitive equipment to restart, shortening its lifespan.
Creole innovation: how to cook rice without electricity 🍚
Faced with the lack of light, Cubans have rediscovered wood-fired stoves and charcoal burners, just as Chinese rice arrives. The paradox is perfect: you receive grain to feed yourself, but you cannot cook it because oil is scarce and the electrical grid collapses. At least rice doesn't need a refrigerator, although boiling it at 3 AM, when the power returns, has become a national sport.