Island-wide power outage leaves much of Cuba without electricity amid deepening crisis Cuban authorities announced a widespread power outage on Monday, affecting millions of residents across the island as the nation grapples with a worsening energy and economic crisis. The Ministry of Energy and Mines confirmed the blackout resulted from a "complete disconnection" of the national electrical grid, with officials launching an investigation to determine the exact cause. The incident marks another significant setback for Cuba’s aging power infrastructure, which has been increasingly strained by fuel shortages and deteriorating facilities. President Miguel Díaz-Canel highlighted the severity of the situation, noting the country has gone over three months without receiving oil shipments. This has forced the government to rely on limited supplies of solar energy, natural gas, and thermoelectric plants to meet demand. The energy crisis has disrupted critical services, with officials reporting that thousands of medical procedures have been delayed due to insufficient electricity and fuel supplies in hospitals. The halt in oil imports from Venezuela, following the U.S. military attack on the South American nation in early January and the arrest of its leader, Nicolás Maduro, has exacerbated the problem. Despite producing about 40% of the petroleum it consumes, Cuba still depends heavily on imports to power its electricity system. Even with domestic production and alternative energy sources, officials say supply shortages persist as the nation’s electrical infrastructure continues to degrade. Recent years have seen repeated power outages across the country, attributed to fuel shortages, equipment failures, and the aging of power plants.#united_states #nicolas_maduro #cuba #miguel_dazcanel #ministry_of_energy_and_mines
