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A nationwide blackout hit Cuba on Monday after the country’s national electricity grid collapsed, according to the state-owned power company.
The Union Nacional Electrica de Cuba (UNE) said the outage was caused by a complete shutdown of the national grid, adding that efforts were already underway to restore electricity across the island.
Cuba’s ageing power infrastructure has been struggling for years, with residents in some parts of the country experiencing outages lasting up to 20 hours daily due to fuel shortages needed to run power plants.
President Miguel Diaz-Canel acknowledged the public anger over the extended power outages but warned that violence would not be tolerated.
Meanwhile, the government has begun rationing gasoline sales and scaling back some hospital services because of the fuel shortage.
“What will never be comprehensible, justified or admitted is violence,” he said.
The situation has worsened since the removal of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, one of Cuba’s closest allies, earlier this year. Since then, the island has faced deeper economic pressure as the United States continues what Havana describes as an oil blockade.
Diaz-Canel also confirmed last week that talks had taken place between Cuba and the United States.
Trump has defended the fuel blockade, claiming it was imposed in response to what he described as an “extraordinary threat” posed by Cuba.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, he suggested a possible deal could be reached soon, saying Washington may either strike an agreement with Havana or take further action if necessary.
Officials say no oil shipments have reached Cuba since January 9, a development that has severely affected electricity generation and forced airlines to cut flights to the island, dealing a blow to its vital tourism sector.
Earlier in March, a major power failure at the Antonio Guiteras plant, Cuba’s largest power station, caused a blackout that left roughly two-thirds of the country without electricity for more than a day.
Frequent blackouts, alongside shortages of food, medicine and other essential supplies, have sparked growing frustration among citizens.
Over the weekend, protesters reportedly vandalised a provincial office of the Cuban Communist Party. Residents have also adopted nighttime protests by banging pots and pans, sometimes shouting “Libertad,” or freedom.
