International
A third total blackout in Cuba in three days thwarts attempts to recover the service
The third total blackout of Cuba’s National Electric System (SEN) in less than 72 hours has once again frustrated this Sunday attempts to restore a basic service that collapsed three days ago after weeks of exacerbation of an energy crisis that has been brewing for years.
“At this moment, steps are being taken to restore the connection,” Félix Estrada, director of the national cargo office of the company Unión Eléctrica, told state television.
The manager of the state company explained that a strategy is currently being followed to reorganize the country’s electricity generating units by regions and then carry out their start-up.
He said that the objective is to restore the SEN connection in the shortest possible time to gradually restore the service of the approximately ten million inhabitants of the island.
Cause of the third blackout in Cuba
He recalled that the cause of this third blackout occurred due to a “transmission failure” when it had been possible to connect in the same subsystem to Mariel (west) and Holguín (east), separated by more than 600 kilometers.
The first total fall of the system that left the country in “zero national energy coverage” was recorded last Friday, after an “unforeseen” exit from operations of the Guiteras thermoelectric plant, considered key to the stability of the SEN.
This Saturday, the actions carried out to re-energize and recover the SEN failed again, which caused the second total disconnection, and in the last hours of that day the subsystem that had been created in the western half of the island collapsed, so the work had to start again.
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, acknowledged this Sunday in an appearance that the situation in the electricity system is “very tense.”
Precarious state
But he said that the Government aspires for the SEN to recover within two days the state it had before the first massive blackout and that consequently most consumers will have light again “tomorrow Monday” and that “the last customer may perhaps be receiving (current) next Tuesday.”
The SEN is in a very precarious state due to the shortage of fuel – the result of the lack of foreign exchange to import it – and the frequent breakdowns in obsolete thermoelectric plants, with four decades of operation and chronic lack of investments.
Stocks have been common for years but the situation has worsened in recent weeks. In recent days, days have been recorded with maximum affectation rates of more than 50%, that is, moments when half of the country was simultaneously without electricity.
Affected economy
The frequent blackouts damage the Cuban economy – which in 2023 contracted by 1.9% and boost social discontent in a society affected by an aggravated economic crisis in recent years.
They have also been the trigger for anti-government protests, including those of July 11, 2021 – the largest in decades – those in Nuevitas and Havana in August and September 2022, and those of last March 17 in Santiago de Cuba (east) and other locations.
The last time a similar situation of “zero production” occurred was in September 2022, after the passage of Hurricane Ian with category three through the extreme east of the island. This caused a serious mismatch and the recovery took days.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
International
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
he Vatican’s post offices and select collector shops began selling special edition stamps this week to mark the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.
Known as “Sede Vacante” stamps, they feature an image used on official Vatican documents during the interregnum between popes — two crossed keys without the papal tiara. These stamps went on sale Monday and will remain valid for postal use only until the new pontiff appears at the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards, and parcels. “Once the new pope is elected, the stamps lose their postal validity, but their collectible value rises,” said Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collectors’ shop across from St. Peter’s Square.
The Vatican has issued the stamps in four denominations: €1.25, €1.30, €2.45, and €3.20. Each is inscribed with “Città del Vaticano” and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” — Latin for “Vacant See 2025.”
International
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.
The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”
The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”
Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.
The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International4 days agoNine dead after driver runs over crowd at Vancouver Street Festival
-
International3 days agoColombia sees deadliest surge in violence since FARC peace deal
-
International4 days agoKing Charles III expresses deep sadness after Vancouver festival tragedy that left nine dead
-
Central America3 days agoGuatemala sees road blockades amid protests against lawmaker pay hikes
-
International3 days agoSpain’s PM calls for calm and patience amid ongoing blackout
-
International3 days agoMexican activist who exposed pornography ring found dead in Veracruz
-
International3 days agoConclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
-
International3 days agoMadrid carries out 286 elevator rescues amid massive blackout
-
International23 hours agoVatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
-
International23 hours agoKristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president