Cuba's Power Struggle: Navigating Blackouts Amid Oil Blockade

Cuba restored its national electrical grid after a 16-hour outage, blamed on the US-imposed oil blockade. It faces ongoing challenges amid economic hardship and infrastructure strains. Power generation remains low, exacerbated by reduced Venezuelan oil shipments and aging infrastructure. New pressures arise under increased US political action.

Cuba successfully reconnected its national electrical grid after enduring a widespread 16-hour blackout. The Energy Ministry attributed the outage to the United States' oil blockade, which has intensified the nation's ongoing struggles amid a chronic economic crisis. With limited electricity and infrastructure under duress, Cuba's government confronts new pressures from U.S. policies under President Donald Trump.

Lazaro Guerra, the Energy Ministry's director of electricity, informed state media that the grid now spans from Pinar del Rio to Guantanamo, though capacity remains severely diminished at about 590 megawatts compared to the typical 2,000 megawatts. Restoration efforts continue gradually, with only 36% of Havana back online, as per local utility EELH.

The outage's catalyst was an unexpected failure at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, compounded by fuel shortages due to the U.S. capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and cutting off oil supplies. Other countries, under threat of U.S. tariffs, such as Mexico, have also halted exports. This lack of fuel leaves Cuba vulnerable to further blackouts, as highlighted by the ongoing investment and capacity dilemmas within its power infrastructure.

(With inputs from agencies.)