HAVANA, Oct. 16 — Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said Thursday that renewable energy now accounts for more than one-fifth of the country’s electricity generation as it seeks to reduce the impact of U.S. fuel restrictions.
In a post on X, Rodriguez said the Cuban government and Communist Party were responding to the U.S. energy blockade, which “aims to punish all Cubans,” with “greater sovereignty and measures” to ease the impact of U.S. sanctions.
Cuba now has 144 solar parks with a combined installed capacity of 1,418 megawatts, while renewable sources account for 21.4 percent of national electricity generation, he said.
The country also has 44 solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations and 64 public charging stations, he said, adding that all polyclinics, nursing homes, maternity homes and funeral homes have been equipped with renewable energy facilities.
In January, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions and tariffs on countries and entities supplying fuel to Cuba, a move Havana has condemned as an “energy blockade.”
Over the past nine months, Cuba has received only one shipment of crude oil from Russia, totaling about 100,000 tonnes, only enough to meet the country’s demand for two weeks.
Cuba is scheduled to submit a resolution to the UN General Assembly on Oct. 29 for the 34th time, calling for an end to the U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on the island for more than six decades.
According to Cuban government figures, the blockade has caused nearly 179 billion U.S. dollars in economic losses. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
