Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla recently presented the updated national report on the effects of the economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed by the United States, corresponding to the period from March 2024 to February 2025. The document reveals the devastating impact this unilateral Washington policy is having on the Cuban economy.
In his presentation, the Cuban Foreign Minister explained how this policy impacts the daily lives of every Cuban—stifling the nation's socioeconomic development—and placed special emphasis on the blockade's impact on the energy sector.
📉 49% more blocked
According to the report, from March 2024 to February 2025, the blockade caused material losses estimated at $7.556 billion, a 49% increase compared to the previous period. This increase is mainly attributed to the drop in export revenues and the financial persecution that hinders international transactions. It should be recalled that Cuba was once again included on the infamous list of alleged state sponsors of terrorism, which makes it a "risk " country for any transaction, business, or investment.
The United States blockade of Cuba consists of a set of measures of economic coercion and aggression that entail genocidal conduct, aimed at causing suffocation and immobility, thereby hindering Cuba's socioeconomic development.
It is a unilateral policy that violates all norms of international law and constitutes a flagrant violation of the human rights of all Cubans.
At current prices, the cumulative damages from the impact of this policy amount to more than $170.677 billion.
Considering the value of gold on the international market, to avoid fluctuations in the value of the dollar, the accumulated losses exceed $2,000,000,103,897 (more than $2.1 trillion), "an extraordinary figure for any economy, not just an island and developing one like Cuba's," said the foreign minister.
🔌The energy sector is among the hardest hit
"It is impossible to express in figures the emotional damage, the anguish, the suffering, the deprivation that the blockade inflicts on Cuban families. This has been the case for several generations, as more than 80% of Cubans on the island were born after the blockade began," said Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla when presenting the report to the press.
"The consequences of this policy are dramatically evident in the shortages our population faces. This reality is undeniable and tangible," the minister stated, emphasizing that "if the blockade were halted for two months, we would have the resources to guarantee fuel to generate electricity."
And he gave another example: “Five days of blockade are equivalent to the financing needed to repair some of the thermoelectric plants, such as the Antonio Guiteras plant in Matanzas or the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes plant in Cienfuegos.”
He added that a few weeks ago, the Cienfuegos thermoelectric plant "directly suffered the effects of the blockade when an industrialized country, a friend of Cuba, was unable to provide technical assistance for a repair, arguing that the requested assistance would contain more than 10% U.S. components."
Let's look at other data:
Five days of blockade prevent financing for the repair of a thermal power plant, which costs around $100 million.
Twelve days of blockade represent the annual maintenance budget for the national electricity system: 250 million dollars.
One month of gridlock is equivalent to the cost of the entire country's Solar Energy Investment Plan for the entire year 2025, which plans to install 1,015 megawatts: $600 million.
Two months of blockade are equivalent to the cost of fuel needed to cover the nation's electricity demand: $1.6 billion.
The report alleges that Cuba has been prevented from receiving technical assistance to repair power plants due to the presence of U.S. components in the equipment, which violates embargo restrictions. Furthermore, 40 foreign banks have refused to operate with Cuba, blocking 140 bank transfers.
🛑 Technical and financial obstacles
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, has explained on several occasions that the situation of the national electricity system (SEN) is very complex and requires millions of dollars in resources to recover.
The deputy minister of the sector, Tatiana Amarán Bogachova, also made a very clear statement in her recent intervention at a Roundtable , where, in addition to addressing the impact that the annoying blackouts have on the population's lives, she argued why the blockage constitutes the main obstacle to solving many of the problems that the SEN currently faces.
“Blackouts affect people's lives: in our homes, in the economy, in businesses, and, without a doubt, the prolongation of this situation has caused exhaustion and increased stress,” said Amarán Bogachova. She also acknowledged that this situation directly impacts everyone's work, rest, and daily routines, and emphasized the need to address the issue without minimizing the discomfort it generates.
The deputy minister explained that the energy crisis in Cuba is the result of a combination of internal structural problems (aging infrastructure, lack of maintenance, slow transition to renewable energy sources, and damage from hurricanes and other weather events) and the impact of the U.S. blockade, which she said is "the main obstacle to solving them."
As concrete examples of the impact of the blockade on the sector, he mentioned the impossibility of accessing technology and spare parts:
State-of-the-art equipment cannot be purchased to repair thermoelectric plants because the manufacturing companies use American components, and this is prohibited by law.
A simple sensor that costs $500 on the global market can cost Cuba $10,000 and take months to arrive, as it must be purchased through a third party.
Another effect of Washington's unilateral policy is the cancellation of contracts due to financial pressure:
In 2023, a European company canceled the sale of spare parts for generating turbines (which would have provided more than 100 MW, enough for 120,000 homes) for fear of US sanctions, even though Cuba already had the financing.
Likewise, difficulties in purchasing and transporting fuel:
Oil tankers transporting fuel to Cuba are threatened with fines, asset seizures, and exclusion from the global financial system. This causes delays in the arrival of fuel and leaves more than 300 MW of distributed generation unavailable per day.
Another example of the impact of the blockade on the SEN is the obstruction of the energy transition:
Banks are refusing to process transactions for the purchase of solar or wind technology because of the dollar's dominance in the global financial system.
Technical assistance was denied to operate a critical component of the Cienfuegos thermoelectric plant because it contained more than 10% components of US origin.
It is also worth mentioning the pressure on the sector's highly specialized technical staff:
Technicians from companies contracted to provide assistance have decided not to travel to Cuba, even after arriving at their airport of origin, due to threats and pressure.
The blockade is not an excuse ; "it is a deliberate policy of economic strangulation that seeks to generate social discontent and weaken national sovereignty." It is a "concrete obstacle" that increases the cost, delays, and impedes access to the technology and financing needed to resolve the national energy crisis. It is, in the words of the deputy minister of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, like having a "sick system" that is being denied the "medicines" to cure it.
rainpizza in cuba
Cuba in numbers: How does the US blockade impact the national electricity system?
http://www.cubadebate.cu/especiales/2025/10/02/cuba-en-datos-como-impacta-el-bloqueo-de-eeuu-en-el-sistema-electroenergetico-nacional/Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla recently presented the updated national report on the effects of the economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed by the United States, corresponding to the period from March 2024 to February 2025. The document reveals the devastating impact this unilateral Washington policy is having on the Cuban economy.
In his presentation, the Cuban Foreign Minister explained how this policy impacts the daily lives of every Cuban—stifling the nation's socioeconomic development—and placed special emphasis on the blockade's impact on the energy sector.
📉 49% more blocked
According to the report, from March 2024 to February 2025, the blockade caused material losses estimated at $7.556 billion, a 49% increase compared to the previous period. This increase is mainly attributed to the drop in export revenues and the financial persecution that hinders international transactions. It should be recalled that Cuba was once again included on the infamous list of alleged state sponsors of terrorism, which makes it a "risk " country for any transaction, business, or investment.
The United States blockade of Cuba consists of a set of measures of economic coercion and aggression that entail genocidal conduct, aimed at causing suffocation and immobility, thereby hindering Cuba's socioeconomic development.
It is a unilateral policy that violates all norms of international law and constitutes a flagrant violation of the human rights of all Cubans.
At current prices, the cumulative damages from the impact of this policy amount to more than $170.677 billion.
Considering the value of gold on the international market, to avoid fluctuations in the value of the dollar, the accumulated losses exceed $2,000,000,103,897 (more than $2.1 trillion), "an extraordinary figure for any economy, not just an island and developing one like Cuba's," said the foreign minister.
🔌The energy sector is among the hardest hit
"It is impossible to express in figures the emotional damage, the anguish, the suffering, the deprivation that the blockade inflicts on Cuban families. This has been the case for several generations, as more than 80% of Cubans on the island were born after the blockade began," said Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla when presenting the report to the press.
"The consequences of this policy are dramatically evident in the shortages our population faces. This reality is undeniable and tangible," the minister stated, emphasizing that "if the blockade were halted for two months, we would have the resources to guarantee fuel to generate electricity."
And he gave another example: “Five days of blockade are equivalent to the financing needed to repair some of the thermoelectric plants, such as the Antonio Guiteras plant in Matanzas or the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes plant in Cienfuegos.”
He added that a few weeks ago, the Cienfuegos thermoelectric plant "directly suffered the effects of the blockade when an industrialized country, a friend of Cuba, was unable to provide technical assistance for a repair, arguing that the requested assistance would contain more than 10% U.S. components."
Let's look at other data:
Five days of blockade prevent financing for the repair of a thermal power plant, which costs around $100 million.
Twelve days of blockade represent the annual maintenance budget for the national electricity system: 250 million dollars.
One month of gridlock is equivalent to the cost of the entire country's Solar Energy Investment Plan for the entire year 2025, which plans to install 1,015 megawatts: $600 million.
Two months of blockade are equivalent to the cost of fuel needed to cover the nation's electricity demand: $1.6 billion.
The report alleges that Cuba has been prevented from receiving technical assistance to repair power plants due to the presence of U.S. components in the equipment, which violates embargo restrictions. Furthermore, 40 foreign banks have refused to operate with Cuba, blocking 140 bank transfers.
🛑 Technical and financial obstacles
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, has explained on several occasions that the situation of the national electricity system (SEN) is very complex and requires millions of dollars in resources to recover.
The deputy minister of the sector, Tatiana Amarán Bogachova, also made a very clear statement in her recent intervention at a Roundtable , where, in addition to addressing the impact that the annoying blackouts have on the population's lives, she argued why the blockage constitutes the main obstacle to solving many of the problems that the SEN currently faces.
“Blackouts affect people's lives: in our homes, in the economy, in businesses, and, without a doubt, the prolongation of this situation has caused exhaustion and increased stress,” said Amarán Bogachova. She also acknowledged that this situation directly impacts everyone's work, rest, and daily routines, and emphasized the need to address the issue without minimizing the discomfort it generates.
The deputy minister explained that the energy crisis in Cuba is the result of a combination of internal structural problems (aging infrastructure, lack of maintenance, slow transition to renewable energy sources, and damage from hurricanes and other weather events) and the impact of the U.S. blockade, which she said is "the main obstacle to solving them."
As concrete examples of the impact of the blockade on the sector, he mentioned the impossibility of accessing technology and spare parts:
Another effect of Washington's unilateral policy is the cancellation of contracts due to financial pressure:
Likewise, difficulties in purchasing and transporting fuel:
Another example of the impact of the blockade on the SEN is the obstruction of the energy transition:
It is also worth mentioning the pressure on the sector's highly specialized technical staff:
The blockade is not an excuse ; "it is a deliberate policy of economic strangulation that seeks to generate social discontent and weaken national sovereignty." It is a "concrete obstacle" that increases the cost, delays, and impedes access to the technology and financing needed to resolve the national energy crisis. It is, in the words of the deputy minister of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, like having a "sick system" that is being denied the "medicines" to cure it.