Cuba experienced an islandwide blackout on Monday, an event attributed to dwindling fuel reserves and the continued deterioration of its aging electrical grid. The state-run Electric Union confirmed the outage, stating that its cause was under investigation. The Ministry of Energy and Mines has initiated protocols to restore power.
Fuel scarcity has been a persistent issue across Cuba since January. This situation has been exacerbated by U.S. threats of tariffs on countries providing oil to the island, intensifying the nation's ongoing economic and financial crisis. The shortages have led to the halt of public transportation and the cancellation of tens of thousands of medical surgeries.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel accused the United States of attempting to incite social unrest by restricting Cuba's fuel supply. He described the efforts of electrical workers amidst what he termed a "genocidal energy blockade" as heroic.
Residents of Havana expressed frustration and uncertainty about the power restoration. For many, the blackout means disruptions to daily life, including the inability to cook or access essential services like water and gas, which are often dependent on electricity.
Cuba produces only about 40% of its fuel needs. A shipment of 730,000 barrels of oil from Russia in late March was reportedly depleted by the end of April. The Cuban government has also been implementing rolling blackouts, with planned outages sometimes exceeding 24 consecutive hours, as a measure to manage the power supply.
This is not the first widespread outage affecting the island. In mid-May, the eastern provinces were hit by a blackout, and in mid-March, a similar outage impacted the entire country. Monday's total blackout adds to the ongoing challenges faced by the population.