MIAMI, United States. – The recent hurricanes Oscar and Raphaelalong with a powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake that shook eastern Cuba last Sunday, left more than 34,000 homes destroyed and multiple damages to agriculture, communications and the country’s electrical system.
“Between the three events, more than 34,000 damaged homes have been reported so far, with different degrees of impact, including total and partial collapses and damage to the roofs,” reported Joaquín Alonso, Minister of Economy and Planning, during a press conference this Thursday.
These natural phenomena left millions of people without electricity, exacerbating the vulnerabilities of Cuba’s already obsolete electrical grid. According to Alonso, the damage includes “around 2,449 damaged transformers, a still undetermined number of fallen poles, 200 kilometers of affected distribution lines and the fall of eight high-voltage towers.”
The National Electroenergy System (SEN) has collapsed twice in recent weeks, causing widespread blackouts that have plunged the country into darkness for several days.
In the agricultural sector, the authorities quantify losses in “37,000 hectares dedicated to agricultural production and in 381 agricultural facilities, with preliminary estimates of economic losses of around 383 million pesos,” the minister detailed.
In addition, damage is reported to 22 hospitals, 605 communication poles, 276 educational facilities, 189 Domestic Trade establishments, 25 warehouses, 88 pumping systems and four bridges, among other critical infrastructures.
Against this backdrop, Alonso admitted that Cuba will not experience economic growth in 2024. “The economic development of a country depends largely on energy, and we have had electrical disruptions throughout the year and not just this month,” he said.
According to official figures, the Cuban economy contracted 1.9% in 2023, although independent experts suggest that the drop could be even greater.
Natural disasters have exacerbated the Island’s already precarious economic situation. The Government now faces the challenge of promoting recovery amid economic and technological limitations, while thousands of families have lost their homes and key sectors have suffered considerable damage.
