Cuban Power Struggles: The Rise of Charcoal Cooking

In Cuba, frequent power outages have led residents like Maria Elena Veiga to rely on charcoal for cooking. Fuel shortages and aging power plants have crippled the energy grid, prompting government interventions and new daily challenges for citizens. Cuba attributes these issues to the U.S. trade embargo.

In the face of persistent power outages, many Cubans, including Maria Elena Veiga, a 60-year-old housewife near Havana, have turned to charcoal as their primary cooking fuel. This adaptation comes amid the island's struggling power grid, plagued by frequent blackouts.

Veiga, residing in San Nicolas de Bari, highlights the gravity of the situation, stating that without charcoal, preparing meals would become an immense challenge. Daily power cuts, lasting over 20 hours in some remote areas, leave citizens grappling with both a lack of electricity and limited gas.

The Cuban government has been forced to enact drastic measures, such as school closures and work restrictions, to conserve energy. The U.S. trade embargo is cited as a significant barrier, complicating efforts to procure the necessary resources to modernize the outdated power infrastructure.

(With inputs from agencies.)