Cuba’s blackout emergency

A Russian tanker identified by analytics firm Kpler as the Anatoly Kolodkin loaded about 730,000 barrels of Urals crude in Primorsk on March 8 and is tracked en route to the Matanzas oil terminal with an expected late‑March arrival. (bloomberg.com)) A second vessel, the Hong Kong‑flagged Sea Horse, is estimated to be carrying roughly 190,000–200,000 barrels of diesel/gasoil and maritime trackers reported erratic routing and signal manipulation consistent with attempts to evade sanctions. (cnbc.com)) Cuba’s grid operator reported a “complete disconnection” in a nationwide blackout on March 16 that left roughly 11 million people without power and marked the third major system collapse in about four months. (nwpb.org)) China’s gift comprises 5,000 isolated 2 kW photovoltaic systems intended for vital municipal centers and off‑grid homes; state media reports 2,671 of those systems were earmarked for vital centers and just 114 had been installed as of the project update. (en.granma.cu)) Labor Minister Jesús Otamendiz Campos told state television that the government will prioritize worker re‑location and telework where possible, guaranteeing 100% of the basic salary during the first month of interruption and 60% from the second month onward if interruption persists. (cibercuba.com)) Otamendiz also directed that idle workers be reassigned to prioritized tasks such as local food production, waste collection and services for vulnerable people, instructing provincial governments to report re‑assignment results to the Council of Ministers. (cibercuba.com)) International and diaspora groups are mobilizing: the Nuestra América convoy and allied NGOs say they will deliver more than 20 tonnes of food, medicine and solar equipment to Havana this month, while the U.S. has announced an additional $6 million in humanitarian assistance routed through church and civil‑society partners. (wlrn.org))