Cuba says schools to reopen next week, despite energy crisis

HAVANA: Cuba's education minister has announced that the new school year will commence on September 1, despite the country's ongoing energy crisis characterized by rolling blackouts, food and fuel shortages. Minister Naima Trujillo acknowledged that restarting classes would be a significant challenge in these difficult circumstances.

In response to the crisis, schools have been instructed to be understanding towards students arriving late or not in uniform. Trujillo emphasized that the main challenge will simply be to have the school year at all. Following her statement, the national electricity company reported that power had been cut in four out of the five eastern provinces of Cuba, the latest in a series of frequent blackouts.

The Union Electrica de Cuba utility attributed the blackout to a transmission failure that disrupted electricity supply from three power plants. Power was later restored. The United States has been imposing sanctions on Cuba since January in an attempt to weaken the communist regime, which has exacerbated the island's existing crisis marked by strict electricity rationing and acute shortages of fuel, drinking water, and subsidized food.

In recent weeks, power outages have lasted up to 30 hours in Havana and for days in rural areas, with residents struggling against the oppressive summer heat. Yannay Miranda, a mother of a six-year-old, expressed her determination to ensure her daughter attends school next week, stressing the importance of continuing her education despite the deteriorating infrastructure.