Cuba initiated a gradual restoration of power on Monday following a collapse in the national electric grid, adding to the challenges faced by the island plagued with energy, fuel, and medicine shortages. The grid operator, UNE, managed to supply electricity to critical services like hospitals and food production centers, yet by late afternoon, only one percent of Havana’s power demand was met. The cause of the grid failure remains undisclosed.
The nation has been grappling with prolonged power outages lasting for hours and even days, attributed to an outdated grid and a blockade on oil imposed by the United States, disrupting the fuel supply. The widespread outage further burdens Cubans already strained by recurrent blackouts hindering work and rest under the sweltering Caribbean climate.
Many residents, accustomed to power disruptions, barely noticed the grid collapse on Monday as nearly two-thirds of the country was already without electricity. Communication challenges persisted, prompting a TV broadcast to urge those with power access to inform others about the grid failure. The U.S. administration, under President Donald Trump, has curtailed fuel deliveries from Venezuela to Cuba and pressured Mexico to follow suit, threatening tariffs on oil-supplying nations.
Despite political tensions between the two countries, most Cubans are concerned with the practical implications of the ongoing crisis rather than the political motives behind it. The unbearable conditions of heat and mosquito infestations have left citizens like 60-year-old Omar Ortega from Havana questioning the duration of the crisis, expressing fatigue and urgency for relief from the dire situation.