Cuba Faces Ongoing Blackouts Amidst Grid Collapse and Fuel Crisis

Cuba Battles Power Outages Amid Second Grid Collapse

Cuba's government has made limited progress in restoring electricity after the national grid collapsed twice within 24 hours. While some hospitals and parts of Havana have regained power, the majority of Cuba’s 10 million people remain in darkness.

The outages, caused by deteriorating infrastructure and fuel shortages, have crippled daily life. Traffic lights are out across Havana, and long lines have formed at state-subsidized shops. Lazaro Guerra, head of Cuba’s national grid operator UNE, expressed cautious optimism. "I cannot assure you that the system will be fully restored today, but we expect significant progress," Guerra stated on national television.

Earlier reports from state media outlet *CubaDebate* mentioned a complete grid failure, though Guerra downplayed the scale, describing the issue as localized.

Fuel Shortages and Storms Aggravate the Crisis

Cuba's electrical crisis deepened due to ongoing fuel shortages and hurricanes. Strong winds from Hurricane Milton hindered fuel transport to power plants, while Hurricane Oscar threatened heavy rains in northeastern Cuba.

Cuban officials blame U.S. sanctions and the embargo for fuel scarcity, noting that key allies like Venezuela have significantly reduced their subsidized fuel shipments. Despite these challenges, some Cubans, like René Duarte from Old Havana, remain resilient, stating, "We’re used to taking things in stride because we have no choice."

The country’s power grid had previously collapsed in September 2022 following Hurricane Ian, leading to widespread protests.