Cuba's National Grid Collapses for Third Time in 10 Days, Affecting 10 Million

Havana. Due to the collapse of Cuba's national grid, electricity service has been cut off across the country for the third time in 10 days. As a result, about one crore citizens have been deprived of electricity. According to the state-owned electricity company UNE, the entire electricity network of the country was shut down at 11 am local time on Tuesday. The Ministry of Energy and Mines of Cuba has informed through social media that the entire electricity system has been completely disconnected.

This latest electricity crisis comes at a time when Cuba is facing its most severe economic crisis in decades. Cuba claims that fuel shortage has become severe due to the US oil blockade and the old electricity infrastructure has become even weaker. US President Donald Trump imposed an oil blockade on Cuba in January. Before that, after the US removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power, the subsidized oil supply from Venezuela to Cuba was stopped. It is said that Mexico has also stopped fuel supply to Cuba under US pressure.

According to the International Energy Agency, as of 2023, Cuba was producing only about 40 percent of its required oil domestically. For the remaining needs, it had to rely on imported fuel. The Trump administration, however, stated that these sanctions were imposed to pressure Cuba's communist government to hold democratic elections and release those it called political prisoners.

Frequent power outages are increasing public anger across Cuba. Last week, citizens in various parts of Havana banged pots demanding lights. Even after the previous two nationwide blackouts, it took more than 24 hours to restore full electricity service. According to Cuban officials, fuel shortage and old electricity infrastructure built in the 1960s and 1980s have created a situation where the national electricity system is repeatedly collapsing.