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The Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel returned to Havana on September 8 after a tour of Asia and stated that he is “carefully” monitoring the crisis in power generation, especially while the restoration of service in the eastern region is completed, following the collapse of the infrastructure that left a massive blackout from Las Tunas to Guantánamo on Sunday.
In a message posted on his official X account this morning, the leader of the so-called "continuity" stated that the issue was one of the priority topics discussed during his visit to Vietnam, China, and Laos, where he engaged with leaders and promoted bilateral cooperation.
The return of Díaz-Canel coincided with the news of the passing of Carlos Rafael López Ibarra, a young turbine operator at the Renté thermoelectric plant in Santiago de Cuba, who died after several days of agony due to severe burns sustained in a workplace accident.
His death, which occurred on the same day the leader reappeared in Cuba, underscores the precariousness of the national electric system and the human cost of a deterioration that Díaz-Canel's government has been unable to reverse.
The Asian tour began in Vietnam, where Díaz-Canel received a symbolic donation of 15 million dollars raised by the Communist Party of that country as a gesture of solidarity.
Later, he participated in China in the military parade for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, sharing the stage with Xi Jinping, Putin, and Kim Jong Un. Finally, he concluded his tour in Laos, reinforcing economic and diplomatic agreements, according to official reports.
The return occurs just after the collapse of the National Electric System, which left the eastern part of the country without electricity, with full reconnection achieved around 1:25 a.m. on Monday. Díaz-Canel highlighted the efforts of the workers from the Electric Union in this process.
However, the tour has been criticized by opponents and activists, who describe the trip as an attempt to evade the internal crisis, characterized by prolonged blackouts, shortages of medicines and food, amid rising social tensions.
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