Cuba on Monday suffered its third nationwide power outage since the start of the year, causing mounting despair in the face of an energy collapse precipitated by a US fuel blockade.
The communist island was already struggling to keep the lights on before US President Donald Trump in January cut off its oil supplies, depleting the dwindling supply of fuel for its power plants.
Union Electrica (UNE), the state electricity company, announced a “total disconnection” to the entire island at midday, leaving the communist country’s 9.6 million inhabitants without power while not providing a reason.
It marks the eighth blackout on the island since late 2024.
The lack of fuel “undoubtedly complicates the restoration process,” Lazaro Guerra, director of electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, said on state television late Monday without giving a timeline for repairs.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel directly blamed US sanctions policy against the island.
