National Blackout Affects Over 10 Million in Cuba
More than 10 million residents and businesses across Cuba experienced power outages after the national electrical grid collapsed for the second time within a week.
Cuba's energy ministry announced via social media that "a total disconnection of the National Electrical System has occurred" and added that "protocols for restoration are already beginning to be implemented."
The national grid operator UNE reported that electricity restoration is underway, prioritizing "vital" facilities such as hospitals and water supply systems.
Context of Repeated Blackouts and Fuel Crisis
This Caribbean nation has endured three significant blackouts this month, exacerbated by a US fuel embargo that restricts foreign oil imports necessary for power station operations.
Cuba's electricity infrastructure is aging, and the country faces persistent fuel shortages.
International Support and Aid Efforts
Over the weekend, a coalition of international socialist organizations arrived in Havana to express solidarity with the Cuban government, delivering aid including solar panels, basic food kits, and medicines.
The "Nuestra America" convoy, an aid flotilla departing from Mexico, was delayed due to rough sea conditions but is anticipated to reach Havana's port on Monday.
Public Response and Protests
Recent power outages and the ongoing crisis have triggered rare public dissent. On Monday, residents in central Havana expressed frustration by banging pots and pans. In the town of Morón, located in central Cuba, protesters attacked and set fire to the Communist Party headquarters on the same day.
Unauthorized demonstrations are illegal in Cuba, and participants risk imprisonment.
"The circumstances are really bad," one Havana resident told the BBC. "There are political and economical issues, crisis of all sorts, economic, social. It's been going on for decades and the problems are pilling up."
Another woman said: "There's nowhere to live, nowhere to run to. Young and older people don't have work. Everything has slipped away little by little."
Political Tensions and US-Cuba Relations
Since US forces detained former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on 3 January, US President Donald Trump has faced repeated inquiries about potential similar actions regarding Cuba.
Reports indicate that President Trump desires the removal of Cuba's President Miguel Díaz-Canel, an ally of Venezuela, as a prerequisite for lifting the fuel embargo.
Last week, Trump mentioned the possibility of a "friendly takeover" of Cuba, later describing it as an "honour."
During discussions with campaigners delivering humanitarian aid over the weekend, President Díaz-Canel stated that Cuba has a "preparation plan to raise our people's readiness for defence" against any potential US military aggression.
The American and Cuban governments have initiated preliminary bilateral talks aimed at resolving the crisis, according to Díaz-Canel, though the progress of these talks remains unclear.
On Friday, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio emphasized that "the political system of Cuba is not up for negotiation, and of course neither the president nor the position of any official in Cuba is subject to negotiation with the United States," as reported by .
Additional reporting by Gabriela Boccaccio
