Cuba's power grid collapses again, plunging island into darkness

Cuba's national power grid completely collapsed on Friday, plunging the country into darkness and cutting electricity to millions of residents. Authorities said the failure was triggered by a fault in high-voltage transmission lines in central Cuba around 2 pm local time.

Felix Estrada, an official with Cuba's National Electrical Union (UNE), said protocols were in place to begin gradually restoring the system. By late evening, power had returned to a few scattered neighborhoods in Havana, mostly around hospitals, but most of the capital remained dark under cloudy, rainy skies.

Sixth collapse since January

Friday's blackout was at least the sixth partial or total grid collapse this year, and for many Cubans already accustomed to lengthy power cuts, it barely stood out. Numerous Havana residents were already without electricity before the collapse hit. Frank Lorenzo, a 23-year-old Havana resident, said he had gone 24 hours without power the day before, had it restored for just an hour, and then watched the grid fail again, leaving him to face another night of heat and mosquitoes.

US oil blockade deepens the crisis

Cuba's aging power generation system has struggled for years under fuel shortages and deteriorating infrastructure, but a US-imposed oil blockade that began in January has sharply worsened the situation, leading to more frequent and severe grid failures. The grid collapsed three times in July alone, and rolling blackouts since then have lasted 30 hours or more across most of the country.

United Nations human rights experts have condemned the US oil blockade as a violation of international law, warning that Cuba risks becoming a "silent Gaza" as shortages and blackouts intensify.