Havana, Cuba. A power outage struck most of Cuba, including the capital Havana, the national electricity union UNE said on Wednesday, as the island’s communist-run government faces increasing pressure from the Trump administration.
Extent of the outage and restoration efforts
UNE said it was working to restore services and that the blackout affected the island from the central province of Camaguey to Pinar del Rio in the far west. Cuba’s energy ministry said the Felton 1 thermoelectric power plant in Holguin province in eastern Cuba remained online and that recovery protocols had been activated.
Blackouts and broader economic strains
Cuba has experienced a series of major blackouts in recent years, even before the United States cut off oil shipments to the Caribbean’s largest island. Cuba’s government has attributed its economic crisis to decades of U.S. economic sanctions.
Oil supply disruptions
A more recent scarcity of oil from Venezuela and Mexico due to U.S. pressure has worsened existing shortages. Venezuela, Cuba’s top oil supplier, has not sent shipments since December. Its President Nicolas Maduro was captured in a U.S. attack on its capital early January, after which the United States has controlled the country’s oil exports. Mexico said it would halt supplies after the United States threatened tariffs on countries supplying Cuba with oil.
Impact on services
The power cuts have caused the government to ration key services.
How has the power outage affected you and your access to essential services?