Cuba: La revolucíon grinding to a halt

SANTA CLARA, Cuba June 25 (Cubanacán Press / www.cubanet.org) - Blackouts are becoming so frequent and extended in the central Cuban province of Villa Clara that people have begun referring to them as "lightons," implying the blackouts are the standard and having electric service is the anomaly.

The blackouts, which started becoming more frequent several weeks ago, are being reported from every province in the island.

Government officials have been stressing energy-savings in messages to the population and everywhere saving measures can be seen: street lighting out, few lights and no air conditioning in the government-operated dollar stores, early vacations granted to personnel of numerous government enterprises.

The official newspaper, Granma, said unexpected breakdowns have taken some generating units off line and that some others have been taken off the grid for scheduled repairs.