Efforts to restore power to Cuba have been hampered by the arrival of Hurricane Oscar. Millions of people are spending their fourth day in the dark after the Caribbean country's main power plant collapsed, causing the national electrical grid to shut down.
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00:00Starting fires on the streets of Havana to illuminate the capital city, as mass blackouts across Cuba enter their fourth day.
00:08The island's electric grid completely collapsed after the largest power plant shut down, plunging the entire population of 10 million into darkness.
00:17And as technicians rushed to restore it, it failed three more times.
00:23The blackout marks a new low point in a country where life has become increasingly difficult, with residents already suffering from shortages of food, fuel, water and medicine.
00:53Look, I'm trying to sell. I don't understand anything.
00:56Very strong, very strong. Very strong. This is in decline. And more and more blackouts, more and more blackouts.
01:05Can you imagine? This is about to collapse completely.
01:11And as Cuban officials suspended all non-vital government services and shut down schools, outrage spilled out onto the streets.
01:19Residents holding rare protests in the communist country, chanting, we want electricity.
01:28Rolling blackouts have been persistent in Cuba for years, but have worsened in recent months.
01:34Officials blame the problem on deteriorating power infrastructure, increased demand and shortage of fuel imports with deliveries from Russia, Mexico and Venezuela reduced.
01:45Of all these factors that affect the lack of fuel is the one that is most influencing them.
01:52For you to have an idea, we have had the highest figures in the last three days.
01:59Cuban officials also blame U.S. trade sanctions for ongoing difficulties acquiring fuel and spare parts to operate its oil-fired plants and for the country's economic decline,
02:10a problem the U.S. blames on long-term mismanagement of policy and resources.
02:15The government says it won't rest until electricity is restored, deploying 52,000 workers to attempt to bring back power.
02:22But their efforts are now hampered by the arrival of a hurricane, with winds of up to 120 kilometers per hour.
02:29With experience and concrete examples in gas, we have to work with the gas accompanying the oil wells.
02:38The experience we have is that whenever there is a meteorological event like this, the first impact is always there.
02:46Further damaging the already embattled power system and deepening the country's economic woes, leaving residents in fear of darker days ahead.
02:55Karma Shu and Rosie Greninja for Taiwan Plus.