Cuba’s power grid experienced a major failure late on Sunday, plunging the island’s population of around 10 million into darkness. This incident adds to the increasing frequency of blackouts affecting the nation.
Recent challenges, like three massive blackouts in July, have highlighted the vulnerabilities in Cuba’s ageing energy infrastructure. The situation worsens under a U.S.-imposed oil blockade, exacerbating the ongoing fuel crisis.
The state-run Union Electrica de Cuba confirmed the outage but did not provide additional details through its social media updates.
The pressure on Cuba’s power system has intensified as the country faces difficulties in sourcing fuel imports. A critical blow came when the U.S., under President Donald Trump, imposed an oil blockade after the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January. With Venezuela being a major oil supplier for Cuba, and decreased imports from Mexico due to U.S. pressure, securing fuel has become increasingly challenging.
Amid these difficulties, Cuba’s energy sector is seeing cautious reforms. Due to severe U.S. sanctions and ongoing fuel shortages, Havana has initiated steps to open its energy market. The government approved its first foreign-backed fuel import initiative and allowed nearly 200 local businesses to participate in wholesale fuel distribution.
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