International
A third total blackout in Cuba in three days thwarts attempts to recover the service
The third total blackout of Cuba’s National Electric System (SEN) in less than 72 hours has once again frustrated this Sunday attempts to restore a basic service that collapsed three days ago after weeks of exacerbation of an energy crisis that has been brewing for years.
“At this moment, steps are being taken to restore the connection,” Félix Estrada, director of the national cargo office of the company Unión Eléctrica, told state television.
The manager of the state company explained that a strategy is currently being followed to reorganize the country’s electricity generating units by regions and then carry out their start-up.
He said that the objective is to restore the SEN connection in the shortest possible time to gradually restore the service of the approximately ten million inhabitants of the island.
Cause of the third blackout in Cuba
He recalled that the cause of this third blackout occurred due to a “transmission failure” when it had been possible to connect in the same subsystem to Mariel (west) and Holguín (east), separated by more than 600 kilometers.
The first total fall of the system that left the country in “zero national energy coverage” was recorded last Friday, after an “unforeseen” exit from operations of the Guiteras thermoelectric plant, considered key to the stability of the SEN.
This Saturday, the actions carried out to re-energize and recover the SEN failed again, which caused the second total disconnection, and in the last hours of that day the subsystem that had been created in the western half of the island collapsed, so the work had to start again.
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, acknowledged this Sunday in an appearance that the situation in the electricity system is “very tense.”
Precarious state
But he said that the Government aspires for the SEN to recover within two days the state it had before the first massive blackout and that consequently most consumers will have light again “tomorrow Monday” and that “the last customer may perhaps be receiving (current) next Tuesday.”
The SEN is in a very precarious state due to the shortage of fuel – the result of the lack of foreign exchange to import it – and the frequent breakdowns in obsolete thermoelectric plants, with four decades of operation and chronic lack of investments.
Stocks have been common for years but the situation has worsened in recent weeks. In recent days, days have been recorded with maximum affectation rates of more than 50%, that is, moments when half of the country was simultaneously without electricity.
Affected economy
The frequent blackouts damage the Cuban economy – which in 2023 contracted by 1.9% and boost social discontent in a society affected by an aggravated economic crisis in recent years.
They have also been the trigger for anti-government protests, including those of July 11, 2021 – the largest in decades – those in Nuevitas and Havana in August and September 2022, and those of last March 17 in Santiago de Cuba (east) and other locations.
The last time a similar situation of “zero production” occurred was in September 2022, after the passage of Hurricane Ian with category three through the extreme east of the island. This caused a serious mismatch and the recovery took days.
International
Colombia slams Ecuador’s 30% tariff as ‘economic aggression’
Colombia’s Minister of Mines and Energy, Edwin Palma, on Wednesday described as an “economic aggression” the 30% “security fee” imposed by Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa on imports from Colombia.
“We reject the tariff measure imposed by Ecuador, an economic aggression that breaks the principle of regional integration,” Palma said in a post on X.
President Noboa explained that the decision was taken due to what he described as a “lack of reciprocity and firm actions” by Colombia in the fight against drug trafficking. He added that despite Ecuador having made “real efforts of cooperation,” including maintaining a trade deficit exceeding $1 billion annually, the country’s armed forces continue to face drug-linked criminal groups along the border without any cooperation.
For that reason, Noboa stated that the measure will remain in place “until there is a real commitment” from Colombia to jointly confront drug trafficking and illegal mining along the 586-kilometer shared border, with the same level of determination Ecuador is currently applying.
According to official data, Ecuador seized 214.5 metric tons of drugs in 2025, down from the record 294.6 tons confiscated in 2024.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on January 7 that during his administration, which began on August 7, 2022 and ends this year, drug seizures have increased significantly, adding that total confiscations are expected to exceed 3,500 tons by the time he leaves office.
International
José Jerí claims destabilization attempt after videos of secretive meetings surface
Peru’s interim president, right-wing leader José Jerí, on Wednesday denounced an alleged plot against him and warned of a deliberate attempt to destabilize the country, following the release of a series of videos showing semi-clandestine meetings with a Chinese businessman, as well as visits to the Government Palace by another businessman of the same nationality who is under house arrest.
“I also want to know who is behind this entire plot. I am an objective and impartial president who does not give in to pressure, but someone has found a way to do so. I want to know who is behind it and what their real objective is,” Jerí said while appearing before Congress’ Oversight and Comptroller Commission.
The interim president, who recently marked 100 days in office after replacing former president Dina Boluarte (2022–2025) in his role as head of Congress, insisted that he has never lied to the country. Without directly accusing any individual or group, he argued that routine activities—such as visiting a restaurant or a shop—are being portrayed with a “malicious” intent.
So far, reports indicate that on December 26, close to midnight, Jerí visited a chifa restaurant—a Peruvian-Chinese eatery—owned by Chinese businessman and state contractor Zhihua “Johnny” Yang, accompanied by Interior Minister Vicente Tiburcio, and wearing a hood. On January 6, he also visited a shop belonging to the same businessman, which had been shut down by municipal authorities just hours earlier.
The revelations have fueled political controversy and renewed scrutiny of the interim administration’s actions amid Peru’s ongoing political instability.
International
Mexican influencer “La Nicholette” kidnapped in exclusive area of Culiacán
The content creator known as “La Nicholette,” also referred to as “La Muchacha del Salado,” was kidnapped Tuesday afternoon in Isla Musalá, one of the most exclusive residential areas of Culiacán, capital of the northern Mexican state of Sinaloa, according to local media reports on Wednesday.
The abduction was captured by the security camera of the young woman’s vehicle, a lilac-colored Tesla Cybertruck, which was later found abandoned at the scene.
Video footage circulating on social media shows a masked man carrying a long firearm preventing the influencer from entering her vehicle, while another individual forces her into a white sedan, reportedly an older-model Toyota Corolla.
According to media reports, the incident occurred at approximately 5:00 p.m. local time (2300 GMT) at the intersection of Tachichilte Avenue and San Esteban Street, within the Musalá residential area.
Authorities have not yet released official details regarding the victim’s whereabouts or the motives behind the kidnapping.
Colombia slams Ecuador’s 30% tariff as ‘economic aggression’
José Jerí claims destabilization attempt after videos of secretive meetings surface
Mexican influencer “La Nicholette” kidnapped in exclusive area of Culiacán
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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