It is almost absurd, bordering on the ridiculous, that Cuba is celebrating with great fanfare the Third International Renewable Energy Exhibition while the country is engulfed in the deepest energy crisis it has faced in years. The contrast could not be more grotesque: while high-ranking officials and international representatives enjoy air conditioning at Pabexpo, most Cubans are dealing with blackouts that last up to 12 hours a day.
On one hand, the government claims to be committed to the development of renewable energies as a solution to the energy problem. But who do they think they are fooling? The National Electroenergy System (SEN) is in ruins. The thermoelectric plants are falling apart, maintenance plans fail constantly, and the lack of diesel fuel has put dozens of distributed generation plants out of service.
If they don't have money to maintain the current infrastructures, how are they going to finance a transition to large-scale renewable energy? The answer is obvious: they can't. And the worst part is that they know it. The International Fair show is pure facade, a way to pretend before the international community while the country continues to sink into darkness.
The official rhetoric about a sustainable energy future is a desperate attempt to deceive, once again, the Cuban people and to attract foreign investors, because even they do not believe they can execute those projects. Meanwhile, the average Cuban has to survive in the dim light and suffocating heat, hoping that, with some luck, they only experience a 4-hour blackout instead of a 12-hour one. The renewable energy expo is a macabre joke in a country where the people continue to suffer the consequences of decades of incompetence.
At least in 2025 we will achieve one minute of generation without imported fuel!!!!!
What do you think?
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Opinion piece: The statements and opinions expressed in this article are solely the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of CiberCuba.