Havana, March 22 (SANA) Cuba experienced another nationwide power grid collapse on Sunday, leaving around 10 million people without electricity, as the country grapples with a deepening fuel crisis, the Energy Ministry said.
The outage, the second in less than a week, comes amid reduced Venezuelan oil supplies and tighter U.S. restrictions affecting the island’s energy sector.
The ministry said the collapse was linked to ongoing fuel shortages, which have strained electricity generation capacity across the country.
The blackout coincides with increased pressure from the United States, with analysts saying the crisis reflects a combination of domestic infrastructure challenges and external constraints on fuel imports.
An investigation by The New York Times reported that U.S. authorities have stepped up efforts to curb fuel shipments to Cuba, contributing to the worsening energy situation.
The report said the Caribbean has become a closely monitored maritime zone, where U.S. measures have affected tanker traffic bound for the island.
The worsening shortages have further impacted daily life in Cuba, where residents face prolonged outages and disruptions to essential services.
The report added that measures affecting Cuba’s energy supply include restrictions on Venezuelan oil shipments, pressure on fuel-exporting countries and sanctions targeting tanker operators.
R.A