Cuba's Power Grid Crisis: Outages and Outcry

Cuba experienced a massive power outage affecting 10 million people after an antiquated grid component failed. The government is working to restore power, but the crisis highlights longstanding infrastructure issues exacerbated by economic challenges and U.S. sanctions. Residents face rolling blackouts and shortages of essentials.

Cuba faced a major blackout on Friday night as the island's power grid collapsed, affecting electricity for 10 million residents. The incident raises critical questions about the viability of Cuba's aging electrical infrastructure.

On Saturday morning, the Unión Eléctrica (UNE) managed to produce merely 225 MW, merely a fraction of what's needed to sustain essential services like hospitals and food production. The crisis was triggered by a failure of an outdated component at a Havana substation, causing an island-wide shutdown of power generation.

The breakdown is part of an ongoing series of blackouts plaguing the nation, already under strain from economic turmoil and fuel shortages. The situation has been exacerbated by tightened U.S. sanctions, preventing necessary upgrades to the crippled system. The lack of power has compounded existing shortages of food, medicine, and water, worsening living conditions for Cubans.

(With inputs from agencies.)