Cuba’s electricity grid collapse plunges nation into darkness
Cuba’s electricity grid collapsed late on Sunday, the state-owned grid operator said, plunging the island of about 10 million people into darkness as blackouts become more frequent, reports BritPanorama.
The outage follows three nationwide blackouts in July and comes as a U.S.-imposed oil blockade further strains the island’s ageing energy infrastructure.
The Union Electrica de Cuba gave no further details of the situation in its posts on X and Facebook.
Pressure on the power system has mounted as Cuba struggles to secure fuel imports. It lost a key source of fuel after an oil blockade imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, following Washington’s January 3 ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Venezuela had long been Cuba’s primary oil supplier, with imports from Mexico also halted amid increased U.S. pressure. The power crisis coincides with a cautious opening of Cuba’s tightly controlled energy sector, driven by fuel shortages and severe U.S. sanctions.
Havana recently authorized its first foreign-backed fuel import venture and allowed nearly 200 Cuban businesses to participate in wholesale fuel distribution.
