Cuba Struggles to Restore Power Amid Repeated Grid Collapses

Cuba's electrical grid failed thrice over the weekend, plunging millions into darkness. Despite efforts to restore power, two small protests erupted amid severe shortages. The government attributes the blackouts to deteriorating infrastructure, lack of fuel, and external sanctions, leading to further public unrest and internet disruptions.

Cuba's ongoing efforts to restore power to its national grid faced another setback, as the island witnessed a third collapse late Saturday, leaving millions of residents without electricity. The persistent outages have cast doubts on the government's capability to stabilize the power supply amid mounting challenges.

The initial failure of the electrical grid occurred midday on Friday, following a shutdown of Cuba's largest power plant. Despite a brief restoration attempt on Saturday morning, the system crashed again by the evening. The Havana Electric Company confirmed a complete disconnection at 10:25 p.m., although this update was later removed from their communication channels.

According to Cuba's energy ministry, another outage hit the western sub-system, including Havana. The compounded failures exacerbate a challenging situation for Cuban residents, who are already grappling with shortages of food, medicine, and fuel. Internet access and daily life continue to suffer under the extended blackouts, with the government pointing to the U.S. embargo and sanctions as contributing factors.

(With inputs from agencies.)