Cuba plunges into darkness as electric grid collapses

HAVANA — Cuba's electricity grid collapsed late on Sunday, ​the state-owned grid operator said, plunging the island of about 10 million people ‌into darkness as blackouts become more frequent.

The outage follows ⁠three nationwide blackouts in ​July and comes ⁠as a U.S.-imposed oil blockade further strains ‌the island's ‌aging energy infrastructure.

The Unión Eléctrica de Cuba ⁠gave no further details ⁠of the situation in its posts on X and Facebook.

Pressure on the power system has mounted as Cuba struggles to secure fuel imports.

It lost a key source ‌of fuel after an ​oil blockade imposed by President Donald Trump, following Washington's January 3 ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela had long been Cuba's primary oil supplier, with imports from Mexico also halted amid increased U.S. pressure.

The ​power crisis coincides with a cautious opening ‌of Cuba's ‌tightly ⁠controlled energy sector, driven by fuel shortages and severe U.S. sanctions.

Havana recently authorized its first foreign-backed fuel import venture and allowed nearly ‌200 Cuban businesses ​to participate in wholesale ‌fuel distribution.

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