The communist island was already struggling to keep the lights on before US President Donald Trump cut off its oil supplies in January, depleting the dwindling supply of fuel for its power plants.Union Electrica (UNE), the state electricity company, announced a "total disconnection" to the entire island at midday Monday, leaving the communist country's 9.6 million inhabitants without power while not providing a reason. It said early Tuesday that power was restored to over 30 percent of the capital, including 43 medical centers and nine water distribution installations.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel blamed US sanctions policy against the island for the blackout © YAMIL LAGE / AFP
The blackout marks the eighth on the island since late 2024.The lack of fuel "undoubtedly complicates the restoration process," Lazaro Guerra, director of electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, said on state television late Monday without giving a timeline for repairs.Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel blamed US sanctions policy against the island."While the US attempts to trigger social unrest through strangulation by blocking fuel access to Cuba, the UNE is mobilizing to reverse the collapse of the National Electric System," the president said."The work being done by electrical workers amidst a genocidal energy blockade is heroic," he added.
