Cuba experiences third nationwide blackout of 2024

Cuba experienced its third nationwide power outage of the year on Monday, according to a statement from the state-run electricity company. The blackout comes amid ongoing difficulties in maintaining a stable electricity supply, a challenge that has been exacerbated by a sharp decline in fuel availability for the island’s power plants.

The fuel shortage traces back to an oil blockade imposed by the United States in January under President Donald Trump, which has further depleted the already limited reserves of petroleum products needed to run Cuba’s generators. Officials indicated that the cumulative effect of the blockade and existing economic constraints has left the national grid vulnerable, prompting repeated outages as the country struggles to keep the lights on.