Cuba plunges into darkness again: US oil blockade forces another blackout this week, Havana turns to flashlights

The second blackout in five days and the third this month left Cuba without electricity on Saturday, which authorities later attributed to an “unexpected failure” of a generating unit at the Nuevitas thermal power plant in Camagüey province.Also read: Cuba’s island-wide power outage worsens energy crisis“Since then, cascading failures have occurred among online equipment,” the Ministry of Energy and Mines said in a report.

The ministry added that it activated “micro-islands” of generating units to provide power for essential services such as hospitals, water systems and other vital centres.Initially, the Cuban Electricity Union, which reports to the Energy Ministry, announced a nationwide blackout without providing an immediate cause.

Efforts are underway to restore power.Power outages in Cuba ‘relatively common’Nationwide and regional power outages have become increasingly common in Cuba over the past two years as the country’s aging infrastructure fails. These failures were compounded by power outages lasting up to 12 hours a day as ongoing fuel shortages further strained the system.Also read: Cuban Communist Party offices attacked due to power outagePower outages have had a severe impact on daily life, disrupting work, limiting cooking options and causing challenges such as food spoilage due to refrigeration failures.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the island has not received oil from foreign suppliers for three months and domestic production can only meet about 40% of its fuel needs.While Cuba’s deteriorating power grid is a key factor, the government also blames the crisis on U.S. sanctions. President Donald Trump warned in January that he would impose tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba, and Washington demanded the release of “political prisoners” and political and economic reforms in exchange for easing restrictions.

Trump also proposed “friendly takeover“Cuba.(With AP input)