In Cuba, a complete power outage occurred for the second time in a week.
According to information published on social media by the Cuban Ministry of Energy, a complete shutdown of the National Electric System was recorded at 6:32 PM local time. Efforts are currently underway to restore its operation.
The country's Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, noted that restoration work is being carried out under difficult conditions, and nearly all 10 million Cubans are without electricity. Earlier, the state energy company reported a projected deficit of 1.7 MW during the peak evening period on Saturday.
The first outage occurred on Monday of this week.
As reported on March 16, on that day, all residents of Cuba were also left without power. According to Reuters, the power outages were preceded by multiple short-term blackouts, some of which lasted several days. Protests took place on the weekend of March 14 and 15, which in some areas escalated into riots, including an attack on the headquarters of the ruling Communist Party in the city of Morón.
Frequent power outages and fuel shortages exacerbate the already dire situation in which the population lives, notes the dpa agency. As a result of the outages, food in refrigerators spoils, communication and internet services are disrupted, and hospitals are forced to limit their services. Educational institutions are also canceling classes, and mountains of garbage are piling up on the streets due to a lack of fuel for garbage trucks.
Cuba is experiencing a serious economic and energy crisis, which has been significantly worsened by the imposition of an oil blockade by the United States. The majority of energy supply is provided by outdated oil power plants. Previously, Venezuela was the main supplier of oil to Cuba; however, following recent events related to U.S. attacks and the power grab by Nicolás Maduro, supplies have been halted.
Moreover, the U.S. threatens to increase tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba. President Donald Trump also stated that Cuba would become the next priority in his policy after Iran and the overthrow of Maduro. As reported on March 16 by The New York Times, Trump, speaking with reporters, expressed the possibility of "liberating Cuba," adding that "it is now a very weakened country."
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned U.S. actions in early February, calling them "fascist and criminal," aimed at genocide. However, on March 13, he acknowledged the start of negotiations with the U.S., marking the first official recognition of such contacts amid the escalating energy crisis.
