An extensive blackout struck Cuba on Monday, affecting the entire island and revealing the severe strains on its power infrastructure. The outage impacted approximately 10 million people, with partial electricity service restored in some regions.
The National Electric Power System is experiencing a complete disconnection. Investigations into the causes are underway.
Cuba’s state-operated Electric Union reported that morning.
Cuba has suffered from increasingly frequent power outages, attributed to chronic fuel shortages and aging electrical networks. The situation worsened when the U.S. enacted additional sanctions under President Donald Trump in January, targeting countries supplying oil to Cuba.
Public transportation halted, and tens of thousands of surgeries nationwide were canceled during the blackout, as reported by The Associated Press (AP). Authorities said a generating unit resumed operations about two hours after the outage began.
Microsystems are active throughout the country to ensure protection for vital services.
the Electric Union announced.
A Russian tanker of the ‘Dark Fleet’ was detected off the U.S. coast, believed to be delivering oil to Cuba, amid existing U.S. sanctions.
Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy stated officials were striving to restore power, blaming U.S. actions for exacerbating Cuba’s energy troubles. He noted,
Vital services continue to be safeguarded amidst this challenging situation intensified by the energy blockade confronting us.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel criticized U.S. policies, labeling them a ‘genocidal’ energy blockade.
While the U.S. seeks to provoke social upheaval by restricting fuel access to Cuba, the UNE mobilizes to counteract the SEN outage. The efforts of electrical workers amidst this genocidal energy blockade are commendable.
Cuba’s energy crisis deepened earlier this year following a U.S. military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, interrupting Venezuelan oil exports, a vital fuel source for Cuba. Only about 40% of the country’s fuel demands are met internally. In March, a Russian tanker supplied roughly 730,000 barrels of oil to Cuba, with reserves depleted by the end of April, as noted by The AP.
The Cuban government has been imposing scheduled power outages to conserve fuel, with some lasting over 24 consecutive hours. An earlier blackout in March affected Cuba’s western provinces, while another in mid-March plunged the island into complete darkness.
Bonny Chu writes for Fox News Digital, specializing in breaking and trending news.
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