Hurricane Ian & Persona Non Grata

Written by Elliott Cochran

October 3, 2022

Cubans have taken to the street after days without power post Hurricane Ian. Hurricane Ian hit Cuba on Tuesday and knocked out power for the entire island, by Friday half of Havana had electricity back. However, many people began banging on pots and pans in protest because of food spoilage. In Latin America it is common for citizens to express their frustration by banging on pots and pans. On Saturday, October 1, the protests continued as the blackouts continued. Cuban officials claim that 82% of customers in Havana have power but many more around the island are still without power leading to food spoiling, and citizens suffering in the heat during the day. The protests are a rarity in Cuba, a communist country that has not seen anti-government rallies since 2021 and before then 1959 when Castro rose to power. Due to the power crisis the Cuban government has requested emergency assistance from the Biden administration. Cuban authorities requested aid in order to focus on critical infrastructure like hospitals, water pumping facilities and sanitation. President Biden promised to work closer with Cuba upon his election, but the 2021 protests put a stop to the re-engagement. Depending on how Cuba handles the current protests will most likely have an effect on the aid request.

Nicaragua on Wednesday declared the European Union ambassador a “persona non grata” after the EU urged Nicaraguan president to “restore democracy.”  On Friday the Nicaraguan government cut diplomatic ties with the Netherlands ambassador and denied a the approval of an US ambassador.