Cuba plunged into darkness again as power grid collapses

On Sunday, Cuba experienced another nationwide blackout as its power grid collapsed, according to a state utility. The sudden loss of electricity caught residents off guard, especially those outdoors seeking relief from the summer heat. The electricity grid has been struggling due to outdated equipment and a US energy embargo that has limited fuel deliveries to power stations.

State-run UNE reported a "total disconnection" of the national electrical system, plunging the entire country, including Havana, into darkness. This blackout is part of a recurring pattern of power outages affecting Cuba, with just 24 hours ago, the western part of the nation also faced a similar issue. The frequent power cuts have severely impacted daily life, with water supplies dwindling and ceiling fans unable to function.

Residents in the worst-hit areas have expressed their discontent by setting trash ablaze and banging pots and pans. The Ministry of Energy is reportedly working on protocols to reactivate the grid. The United States has only permitted one Russian tanker, carrying 100,000 tons of crude oil, to enter Cuba since March, but this reserve has since been depleted.

Additional sanctions imposed by the Trump administration have further hindered foreign business operations in Cuba. The US has also indicted former President Raul Castro, brother of the revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, over the downing of two civilian planes thirty years ago. Despite a series of free-market reforms implemented by the Cuban government to boost the economy, talks between Havana and Washington have not yielded significant progress.