MIAMI, United States. – The Observatory of Academic Freedom (OLA) issued this Tuesday an alarm given the critical situation faced by the students of the “Marta Abreu” Central University of Las Villas (UCLV), in Saint Clare. According to the organization, university students have been without electricity or drinking water for days, and managers have reported that there is no fuel to transport water.
“Without electricity or drinking water for days, the managers informed the university students that there is no fuel to transport water,” the OLA said in a Facebook post.
The Observatory also reported that “when demonstrating, the students were threatened by academic authorities and State Security agents.”
Likewise, he urged the rector of the UCLV, Luis A. Barranco Olivera, to “fully assume the professional function that corresponds to him” and made the official and his board of directors responsible “for what happens to the students from now on.” ”.
Finally, the OLA denounced “the violation of university autonomy due to the interference and intimidation of the political police against defenseless university students.”
The organization published messages and photos from a UCLV student who reported the events and asked to protect his identity for fear of reprisals. For their part, so far, the UCLV authorities have not commented on the complaints.
The energy crisis worsens
This Monday, October 14, the energy crisis that the country is going through worsened with the withdrawal of the national electricity system from the Cienfuegos Thermoelectric Power Plant (CTE) for maintenance. according to the Electrical Union (UNE) of Cuba.
This Tuesday, the UNE advertisement that the blackouts would simultaneously cover 42% of the national territory during peak hours (evening-night). In your daily partthe state company indicated that the interruptions of the electrical service are due to the lack of fuel and breakdowns in the units of the operational terrestrial thermoelectric plants.
In August, the Island recorded one of the highest electrical service disruptions in three months (39%), although still below the 45% disruption reported in February of this year.
Currently, power outages affect all provinces (although they are worse outside of Havana) and have reached up to 10 hours a day twice a day (around 20 hours in total).
In May of this year, the Cuban ruler, Miguel Diaz-Canelsaid the country would experience “prolonged” power outages until June due to maintenance work on the energy system. This measure, according to authorities, seeks to reduce interruptions during the months of July and August, when consumption is highest.
“We are going to have extended maintenance until the month of June to minimize the annoyance of blackouts in the summer, especially in the months of July and August,” said Díaz-Canel in the sixth episode of his podcast. From the Presidency. The governor made it clear that the total absence of blackouts cannot be guaranteed: “We cannot commit to there being no blackouts. Due to the current conditions of the system, that commitment is not possible now,” he declared.
