October 23, 2024
Cited article by Associated Press
HRRC calls for immediate action to restore essential services and protect vulnerable populations from further harm.
News Brief
A small town in the far eastern region of Cuba is recovering from flooding that killed at least six people after Hurricane Oscar brought a tropical storm with winds and heavy rain. Hurricane Oscar caused a massive and prolonged power outage, raising significant human rights concerns as residents face critical shortages of food, medicine, and water, jeopardizing their safety.
The power outage occurred as a result of the failure of the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Power Plant. Yet, this development was just the latest in a series of problems with energy distribution in Cuba, where electricity has been restricted and rotated to different regions at different times of the day. Many Cubans have waited in anguish while many have taken to the streets in protest. Nationwide energy problems are on the rise and have led to some of the largest protests in Cuba in almost 30 years.