Millions without power as Cuba hit by latest major blackout

On Friday, millions of Cubans found themselves without electricity as the nation experienced its latest major blackout. This shutdown affected the entirety of Cuba's electricity grid, causing a nationwide power outage, according to the Cuban energy ministry. Restoration of power began to take effect by late evening, with priority areas such as those near hospitals and water pumping stations in Havana receiving electricity again.

This was the sixth significant blackout to strike Cuba in the current year, exacerbated by an aging electricity infrastructure, chronic fuel shortages, and a US blockade on oil shipments. The blackout began around 2:00 PM local time on Friday (6:00 PM GMT), stemming from a transmission fault combined with adverse weather conditions in central Cuba.

The restoration process was initiated and is ongoing as of Saturday. Cuba's reliance on fuel imports means that stringent US sanctions and an ongoing oil blockade since the start of the year have worsened existing supply issues. The nation is grappling with food and medicine scarcity, forcing hospitals to struggle and schools and government offices to close.

Residents have grown increasingly frustrated, with one Havana resident remarking on the recurrent nature of the blackouts, with power outages now becoming a common occurrence. The repeated power outages have even led to occasional protests in Havana, where unauthorized demonstrations are strictly prohibited. Cuba has blamed its energy crisis on the Trump administration and has denounced all US sanctions, including a fresh round introduced in August.

The US, on the other hand, attributes Cuba's energy woes to internal mismanagement and has accused the island nation of posing a national security threat. President Donald Trump has even hinted at the possibility of overthrowing Cuba's leadership, including the idea of a "friendly takeover."