Cubans sweat in the dark as government scrambles to end blackouts

Emily Villega, 10, does her homework using the light of a cell phone at the balcony of her home during a blackout in Guanajay, Cuba June 17, 2022. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

GUANAJAY, Cuba (Reuters) - When the lights go out, Cuban mother of two Nilde Viera, 39, of the small interior city of Guanajay, sees her life turned upside down.

Her children must do homework by the dim light of a cell phone. The hum of the refrigerator goes quiet. Fans to temper the heat on the sultry Caribbean island stop.