Cuba's Power Grid Collapses for Second Time in Week

Cuba was plunged into darkness once again after its national power grid collapsed on Friday for the second time in a week and the fourth time this year, as an escalating fuel shortage and deteriorating energy infrastructure intensified economic and social pressures across the island.

Cuba's Ministry of Energy said efforts were underway to restore electricity service, describing the situation as "complex" while large parts of the country were still recovering from widespread outages caused by an earlier grid failure at the beginning of the week.

The latest blackout comes as Cuba faces an acute fuel shortage following the suspension of oil supplies from Venezuela and the halt of crude shipments from Mexico, placing additional strain on the country's aging and fragile power generation system.

The prolonged electricity crisis has inflicted significant losses on small businesses, with spoiled food supplies and interrupted commercial activity adding to the economic burden. Residents in the capital, Havana, said power outages have become part of daily life, with some neighborhoods receiving electricity for only one or two hours a day.

Repeated blackouts have also heightened social tensions. Limited protests were reported in Havana following the previous outage as living conditions continue to deteriorate.

The Cuban government has blamed U.S. sanctions and the longstanding economic embargo for the country's worsening energy crisis and fuel shortages, arguing that the restrictions have severely constrained access to essential imports. Washington, meanwhile, maintains that Cuba's economic difficulties stem primarily from longstanding structural problems and economic mismanagement.

The issue was also raised during a session of the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week, where Cuban and U.S. representatives exchanged accusations over responsibility for the crisis. A majority of participating countries reiterated calls for an end to the U.S. economic embargo, arguing that it has exacerbated Cuba's humanitarian and economic challenges.

The recurring collapse of Cuba's electricity grid underscores the vulnerability of the country's energy sector as authorities struggle to secure sufficient fuel supplies to operate power plants, raising concerns that continued outages could further undermine economic activity and social stability.