Some of you have asked how much electricity we have been getting as Cuba battles a criminal and deadly U.S. energy blockade. In our neighborhood we average 2 hours of electricity per day, sometimes 3. Obviously that means no refrigeration or fans. No running water most of the time. During the nation-wide collapse of the power grid last week our neighborhood went 50 hours without electricity. Three days later the power went out for 42 hours before being restored. This morning, after another power grid collapse, the eletricity came on after being off for 63 hours (and it's still on, 5 hours later!). Nearby, visible in the photo, is a section of a neighborhood that usually has power because it is part of a protected circuit that supplies a group of medical facilities there.
To be clear, my situation here is incredibly fortunate in comparison to most. When my food spoils, I can buy more. That I don't have lights and running water and fans does not negate the fact that I can leave any time. Make no mistake: people are dying in Cuba because of the U.S. fuel blockade on top of decades of sanctions: from complications from lack of medications that Cuba can no longer produce in sufficient quantites; because hospitals can no longer meet previous standards of care for newborns and expectant mothers, perform many non-emergency surgeries, or reliably run ventilators and dialysis machines. Less deadly in the short term is the damage being inflicted on the nation, and the incredible difficulty of daily life. The fuel blockade effects every aspect of society, from schools that can't hold classes, businesses that shut down, government offices that have to reduce services and capacity, workers who can't get to their jobs, people who go hungry, who can't sleep for the heat. Elderly people who sit in the darkness alone, social workers who cannot effectively look after the vulnerable. An entire generation of Cuban youth is being robbed of the full benefits of the world class free kindergarten to Ph.D. education that is their socialist birthright. Public concerts canceled, clubs closed or almost empty, tourism virtually nonexistant, beaches inaccesible to many because of the cost of fuel. The fuel blockade is an assault on an entire population. Collective punishment. It is a crime against a people, justified by smug public intellectuals and cheered on by internet trolls and influencers whose depravity is a thing to behold. The United States must pay reparations to Cuba---and to the people of every other nation that it has subjected to the economic warfare of punitive economic sanctions.
Despite all this, Cuba is still standing, owing to the incredible tenacity of its people. Being here during this difficult time for so many, it's incredibly clear that the U.S. pressure campaign, which is aimed at creating the conditions for regime change and the return of U.S. domination of the island, is not succeeding, at least not yet. Cuba is not a failed state, although the U.S. desperately wants to make it one. Cuban society is not on the verge of collapse, despite the intense pressure it is under, and despite the enormous hardship of daily life and the damage being inflicted on the nation. The streets are full of activity and life. Neighbors banter, kids play, street soccer matches rage, people joke and criticize and gossip and politick. People are still living their lives, or trying to, as best they can. But the cost of national survival will be enormous, in ways no one can yet fully predict. From Teishan Latner.
No, no es un efecto especial ni un vestido flotando en la oscuridad. Lo que estás viendo es una "Bailarina Española", una de las babosas marinas más grandes del mundo flotando en la noche del océano. 🧵👇