19//06/09
Ambassador of Cuba speaks about Cuban energy policies after the 1959 Cuban Revolution

The Venezuelan Embassy and the Windsor Energy Group (WEG) hosted the “Latin American and Energy Roundtable” conference at Bolivar Hall.

This event was staged to highlight the importance of energy sectors in Latin America.

The conference was divided in to panels of discussion, which included contributions from the ambassadors of Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Brazil and Mexico.

Ambassador Rene Mujica Cantelar for the Embassy Cuba in the United Kingdom discussed the Cuban energy sector since the beginning of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. “Until 1989 Cuba was dependant on oil from the former USSR and yet 95% of the population was covered by the electric grid while the average for Latin America at the time was only 74%. Prior to the revolution in 1959 the coverage was aroud 56%,” said Mujica.

He highlighted the achievements of the Cuban energy sector “which began in 1993 after the National Assembly adopted a program for the development of Natural resources, which has managed to increase energy efficiency and availablilty including the development of renewable energy programs which has improved the Cuban energy sector significantly”.

He added: “In 1997 the government introduced a national plan for saving electricity and also in that same year the Ministry of Education implimented an energy saving education program which aims to teach students and poor families about energy saving methods, and Cuba also began using solar energy to provide electricity”.

Ambassador Mujica concluded by mentioning how the Cuban energy sector has been improved since an oil supply agreement was made between Cuba and Venezuela. Venezuela agreed to provide Cuba with oil in exchange for Cuban doctors and for the help of other social benefits in Venezuela.

Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Press Office