Learning English from the News Cuba protests: millions without power
Mar 18, 2026
Mass protests and arrests follow prolonged blackouts and shortages that have crippled hospitals, transport and rubbish collection. The crisis is linked to lost oil shipments and an international blockade. Discussion includes damage to Communist offices, calls for investment from exiles, and vocabulary explanations tied to the unfolding events.
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Protests Driven By Oil Blockade And Prolonged Blackouts
- Cuba's protests are rooted in widespread shortages and long blackouts caused by a US oil blockade.
- President Miguel Diaz-Canel said no fuel entered for three months and Havana faced up to 15-hour daily blackouts affecting hospitals and transport.
Ransack Explains Destructive Protest Actions
- The word ransack describes violent or careless searching and damaging, used to report protesters' actions at a communist office.
- Becca explains ransack can mean vandalism or frantic searching, e.g., burglars leaving a place in a mess.
Grapple With Means Wrestle With A Problem
- The phrasal verb grapple with is used metaphorically to mean struggling to deal with a problem, here Cuba's nationwide blackout.
- Becca contrasts physical grappling with wrestling with ideas and gives a math-problem example.