Cuba’s power grid failed again, plunging the nation into a nationwide blackout | Ukraine news

Late Sunday outage left millions scrambling in the dark, reviving July’s pattern of rolling blackouts. The government has not explained the cause.

Cuba’s power grid collapsed again late Sunday evening, the state-owned electricity company reported on social media, leaving the Caribbean nation once again in a complete nationwide blackout.

The outages that began on Sunday marked the first blackout in August and came as the island, home to around 10 million people, endured three blackouts in July amid a U.S. oil blockade that is testing the country’s aging energy infrastructure.

The state-owned electricity company provided no further details about the cause of the outage.

Context and consequences of the crisis

Cuba has faced serious difficulties importing fuel since the detention of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January; Venezuela remains Havana’s closest ally. Mexico has also halted exports in response to pressure from the United States.

Summer blackouts are making life increasingly difficult for residents: many wake up in the middle of the night to cook, do laundry, use the internet, and cool themselves under the scorching sun, unsure how many hours it will be before power is restored.

U.S. pressure is slowly pushing Havana toward certain economic reforms. In July, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruzden announced that the government had approved the first foreign investment project involving the import and sale of fuel; nearly 200 companies on the island were granted permission to engage in wholesale fuel distribution. Lawmakers also approved measures allowing private investment in the tourism sector, which has been hit by U.S. sanctions and reduced air connections due to fuel shortages. However, the authorities noted that these steps are part of gradual reforms and that comprehensive changes will take time.

The government also said that the results of the reforms would be achieved gradually, with the start of the largest and possibly most difficult stage taking place now. Despite this, the population expects the energy supply to stabilize and economic activity to recover.