Havana, Cuba – Cuba has successfully restored its national power grid after suffering its second nationwide blackout in a single week, a crisis exacerbated by a severe United States oil blockade and a crumbling energy infrastructure.
Okay News reports that Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz confirmed the restoration of the National Electric System late Sunday, crediting the tireless efforts of electrical workers.
The blackout, which plunged the country of 9.6 million people into darkness, was triggered by an unexpected failure at one of the island’s aging thermoelectric plants. While power has returned to much of Havana and other provinces, authorities have cautioned that electricity demand will likely continue to exceed the available supply.
The ongoing energy crisis has been severely compounded by a de facto US oil blockade imposed by President Donald Trump in January, following the removal of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, who was a key Cuban oil supplier.
With no new oil shipments arriving since January 9, the prolonged outages and subsequent shortages of food and medicine have sparked rising public frustration and rare protests across the island.
Despite the mounting pressure and Trump’s recent threats of a potential “takeover,” Cuban officials have expressed a willingness to engage in diplomatic talks with Washington, provided that the island’s political system remains off the negotiation table.
