Cubans begin third day without power as hurricane nears

From the article:

The Cuban Electrical Union said about 16% of the country had had power restored when the aging energy grid again overloaded late Saturday. Officials did not provide an update on when service would be reestablished.

This marks the third full collapse of Cuba’s energy grid since Friday, and most in the 10 million-strong country have had their access to power interrupted the whole time.

Recovery efforts will be complicated further by the arrival of Hurricane Oscar in eastern Cuba, which is expected to bring heavy winds and surf, forecasters said.

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In Havana, residents waited for hours to buy a few loaves from the handful of locations selling bread in the capital. When the bread sold out, several people argued angrily that they had been skipped in line.

Many wondered aloud where Cuba’s traditional allies were, such as Venezuela, Russia and Mexico. Until now, they had been supplying the island with badly needed barrels of oil to keep the lights on.