Cuba Power Outage Sparks Havana Protests as Fuel Crisis Deepens

Scattered protests erupted across Havana on Tuesday night as millions of Cubans continued to face prolonged power outages following the island's third nationwide blackout of the year. Residents banged pots and pans, honked car horns, and shouted "turn on the lights" as frustration mounted over the worsening electricity crisis.

Although Cuban authorities said electricity had been restored to much of the national grid by late Tuesday, many communities remained without power due to severe fuel shortages. State grid operator UNE reported that service had been reconnected from Pinar del Rio in western Cuba to Holguin in the east, but Santiago de Cuba, the country's second-largest city, was still disconnected.

The ongoing energy crisis has intensified after the United States cut off Cuba's fuel supply in January and later imposed additional sanctions. The measures have contributed to a sharp decline in foreign investment, a collapse in tourism, and growing economic hardship. Washington says the sanctions are intended to pressure Cuba's communist government into democratic reforms and the release of political prisoners.

Cuba and the United Nations, however, argue that the sanctions violate international law and have worsened living conditions for ordinary citizens.

In Havana neighborhoods including Jaimanitas and Santa Fe, residents gathered outside their homes to escape the heat, play dominoes, and wait for electricity to return. Many have become accustomed to blackouts lasting more than 30 hours.

"I don't see a quick fix to this problem," said resident Amauri Gonzalez. "Our power plants are obsolete and there's no fuel."

In some parts of Santa Fe, electricity returned shortly after demonstrations began, prompting many protesters to head home.

Diplomatic talks between Cuba and the United States remain stalled. During a United Nations General Assembly debate on sanctions, U.S. Ambassador Michael Waltz blamed Cuba's government for the persistent electricity shortages, urging authorities to "change your ways and turn the lights back on for your people."

Most countries participating in the debate instead called on the United States to lift its longstanding blockade and remove sanctions that they said have severely damaged Cuba's economy.