Cuba hit with fifth blackout in less than a year with 10M people in the dark
7 hours ago
- #Economic Crisis
- #Cuba
- #Blackout
- Cuba experienced its fifth nationwide blackout in under a year, affecting 10 million people.
- The blackout was caused by a total disconnection of the electric system.
- Cuba's power grid has been failing repeatedly since late last year, highlighting its frail and outdated infrastructure.
- Earlier this week, an outage in Cuba’s eastern region left several areas without power for hours.
- In February, the government suspended classes and work for two days due to electricity shortages.
- Residents expressed frustration, with some resorting to cooking with charcoal or firewood.
- Cuba is facing severe fuel, food, and economic shortages amid its worst crisis in decades.
- Power plants, reliant on dwindling oil imports, are obsolete and struggling to function.
- The October 2024 shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras plant left the island in darkness for days.
- US sanctions have worsened the crisis by limiting Cuba's ability to buy fuel or repair aging plants.
- Blackouts have sparked rare anti-government protests.