The Cuban government asserted that it is fundamentally maintaining the generation of electricity with domestically produced crude oil, associated gas, and support from renewable energy sources, as part of the set of measures announced in response to the “acute fuel shortage” in the country.
The directive was presented by Vice Prime Minister Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga during the official program Mesa Redonda, in which he stated that the priority is to protect essential services and minimize the impact on the population.
According to the summary released from the appearance, the available fuel is allocated to the protection of essential services and to “essential economic activities.”
Within that framework, the government stated that it protects the functioning of essential supply sources for water and that basic health services are maintained, with priority given to medical emergencies, the Maternal and Child program, and the Cancer Program.
The commitment to national crude oil also emerges as a pillar of continuity: the list of measures includes “continuing to increase national oil production” and, at the same time, “maintaining investments in Photovoltaic Solar Parks” and expanding incentives to install renewable sources “across all sectors of the economy,” with the goal of enhancing electricity production.
In parallel, actions were announced to reduce consumption during peak hours, including: concentrating administrative activities from Monday to Thursday "with maximum efficiency" to minimize disruptions on weekends; adjusting fuel sales "according to availability"; and expediting the delivery of photovoltaic systems for homes.
In his television appearance, Pérez-Oliva Fraga emphasized that the Government went to "inform" and not to justify itself, while also acknowledging the existence of "internal deficiencies" in addition to external factors.
It was also stated that preparation activities for defense and internal order are ensured, and that, "to the extent possible," activities aimed at generating foreign currency necessary for economic and social development are protected.
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