A massive power outage hit all of Cuba, including the capital Havana. The collapse of the national power grid left about 10 million people in the dark.
Cuba's National Electric Company (UNE) announced on social media that a "total blackout" had occurred. This blackout comes after three nationwide blackouts in July.
At the root of the blackouts is the oil embargo imposed by US President Donald Trump following the overthrow of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3. Venezuela had long been Cuba's main oil supplier. Under US pressure, imports from Mexico also stopped.
Although Cubans have long been accustomed to power outages due to aging power plants, the oil embargo has made fuel supply to plants and backup generators more difficult, increasing the frequency of outages. The electric company says the fuel shortage has made the grid more vulnerable to failures and slowed the restoration of power.
In recent weeks, outages in the capital have lasted up to 30 hours, while in other provinces they have lasted for days. Since the start of the year, the country has experienced five total blackouts.
Julian Gonzalez, a 72-year-old Cuban carpenter, said, "We almost live like fireflies, in constant darkness. We don't know when the power will return; this is our painful reality."
The power crisis coincides with a fuel shortage triggered by heavy US sanctions. Havana recently approved its first foreign-backed fuel import project and allowed about 200 Cuban companies to participate in wholesale fuel distribution.
Cuba has been experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades for five years. This crisis has deepened further due to the oil embargo imposed by the US president since the start of the year.
