HAVANA (AP) 鈥� Tens of thousands of Cubans crowded along famed seawall on Friday to celebrate workers , especially those who keep the socialist country powered.
Employees of 颁耻产补鈥檚 Electric Union are working 24 hours a day as the island鈥檚 power grid continues to crumble, provoking worsened by a lack of gasoline stemming from a .
鈥淲e are living through difficult times,鈥� said Yunier Meri帽o Reyes, an accountant with the Electric Union who joined Friday鈥檚 march to celebrate his colleagues. 鈥淲e are carrying out a very tough, arduous and relentless effort 鈥� day and night 鈥� to provide electricity to the people who need it.鈥�
颁耻产补鈥檚 power crisis deepened after the in early January, halting critical oil shipments from the South American country. Later that month, U.S. President Donald Trump on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba.
As a result, the island spent more than three months without a single oil shipment until a Russian tanker laden with 730,000 barrels in late March.
Before it arrived, Cuba was relying solely on natural gas, limited solar power and disintegrating thermoelectric plants.
鈥淚t was brutal,鈥� Vicente de la O Levy, 颁耻产补鈥檚 energy and mines minister, recently told reporters.
Once the Russian oil arrived, it had to be refined, a process that took roughly two weeks.
鈥淲e have been working eight hours a day without stopping,鈥� said Rafael Mart铆nez, a refinery worker at 颁耻产补鈥檚 Petroleum Union.
He recalled his joy when he heard that the had docked.
鈥淥ur job is to push ahead, that鈥檚 all you can do,鈥� he said as his colleagues rallied around him on Friday, playing on cowbells and a large drum as they celebrated their day.
颁耻产补鈥檚 Petroleum Union posted a recent video highlighting its workers, including driver Jos茅 Antonio B谩ez.
鈥淥ur work generates the entire economy of the country. We drive the country鈥檚 economy,鈥� he said.
Pedro Luis L贸pez Manzano, an engineer and the director of maintenance at the Cienfuegos refinery, said in the video that crews had to take several steps to ensure operability because the refinery was shut down for four months.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a challenge, but we always thought it was possible,鈥� he said.
Meanwhile, Gustavo Rodr铆guez Cordero, an engineer and a director general at 颁耻产补鈥檚 Petroleum Union in Villa Clara, criticized the in a video posted by his company.
鈥淣o one has the international right to oppress a people in this manner,鈥� he said.
After the oil was refined, de la O Levy said the government chose to prioritize vital sectors including agriculture and food production.
鈥淭his enabled the irrigation of tobacco, corn and soybeans,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here were more hours of power outages than anticipated because we diverted a portion of the energy supply toward production; we could not allow factories to remain idle.鈥�
He said some of the petroleum was converted into approximately 6,000 tons of diesel and fuel oil that was used to power hospitals, generators and transportation.
De la O Levy said situation began to improve starting April 17: 鈥渘ot the desired one, but significant.鈥�
He said the government distributed 800 tons of fuel a day out of the 1,600 tons needed.
鈥淚f we used 1,600 tons, there would be fewer blackouts, but the (fuel) would last half as long,鈥� he said.
De la O Levy warned the Russian oil was expected to last only until the end of April, noting that the priority is to sustain the island鈥檚 thermoelectric plants using Cuban crude oil.
鈥淲ithout this fuel, we would face a total, systemwide blackout,鈥� he said.
Cuba produces 40% of its required fuel and depends heavily on imports.
As the island鈥檚 crises grind on, Katiusca Carre帽o, 53, who works at the Electric Union鈥檚 command center, said she is committed to satisfying 颁耻产补鈥檚 people.
鈥淩esources aren鈥檛 reaching us, but all of us workers are still here,鈥� she said after Friday鈥檚 rally. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard, but not impossible. We work 24 hours a day.鈥�
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