Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has begun a tour of Algeria, Russia, Turkey and China to strengthen the island’s energy sector, which suffers from prolonged power outages and recurring fuel shortages.
“We are crossing the Atlantic again for an intense tour, during which we will address key issues for our country, mainly related to the electricity and energy sectors,” Diaz-Canel said on his Twitter account shortly before his departure.
Since May, Cuba has been facing a severe energy crisis, which has resulted in prolonged power outages and frequent fuel shortages.
It is a “tour of Algeria, Russia, Turkey and China, in response to official invitations issued by the leaders of these countries,” he said.
President Diaz-Canel is visiting countries with which Cuba has agreements in the energy sector.
In addition to Venezuela, the island’s main oil supplier, Algeria and Russia also sell crude to Cuba, while many of the country’s thermoelectric plants use Soviet or Russian technology.
China is the island’s second largest trading partner after Venezuela, and a strong communist political ally.
In addition, a Turkish company is renting seven floating generators in Cuba that contribute to the production of electricity on the island, the most recent of which arrived in Havana on Tuesday.
The agenda of this tour “responds to Cuba’s political and economic priorities, as well as to efforts to mitigate the effects of a post-pandemic crisis that affects the whole world and that, in our case, is exacerbated by the effects of the U.S. blockade,” Diaz-Canel added.
“We will work hard to strengthen economic and political ties that will allow us to continue to promote Cuba’s development,” the Cuban president concluded on Twitter.
He is accompanied in his tour by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez, Economy Alejandro Gil and Foreign Trade Rodrigo Malmierca, as well as the Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas.
His tour will end on November 27, the day of the municipal elections on the island.
