Additional Coverage:
Cuba Faces Second Nationwide Blackout in One Week Amid Energy Crisis
HAVANA – Cuba experienced a widespread power outage on Friday, marking the second islandwide blackout within just a few days. The nation of nearly 10 million continues to struggle with an aging electrical grid compounded by fuel shortages, a situation exacerbated by ongoing U.S. energy sanctions.
While power outages have become a frequent challenge in the Caribbean island nation, the occurrence of consecutive full blackouts is notably rare. The country’s Electric Union confirmed the latest outage on social media platform X.
Earlier this week, a similar total blackout was reported on Monday, though officials have yet to determine the precise cause and are conducting an investigation.
Cuba’s energy troubles have deepened since January, when former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs against any country supplying oil to the island, intensifying Cuba’s economic difficulties. The fuel shortage has had a severe impact on daily life-public transportation has been largely suspended, and tens of thousands of medical procedures have been canceled.
Currently, Cuba produces only about 40% of its own fuel needs. A shipment of 730,000 barrels of oil from Russia that arrived in late March was depleted by the end of April. In response, the government has imposed power rationing, with some planned outages lasting over 24 hours.
Recent months have seen similar widespread outages, including a blackout in the eastern provinces in mid-May and a total islandwide blackout in mid-March, underscoring the ongoing energy challenges facing Cuba.