HAVANA — Cuba’s national power grid collapsed Sunday, causing another nationwide blackout as the country continues to struggle with aging infrastructure, fuel shortages and prolonged power outages, state utility Unión Eléctrica (UNE) said.
UNE said a “total disconnection” of the national electricity system plunged Havana and other parts of the country into darkness.
The latest outage came about 24 hours after a separate grid failure left western Cuba without electricity, adding to a series of nationwide and regional blackouts that have disrupted daily life.
Residents in Havana reacted with frustration as the power went out, with some people who had been sitting outdoors to escape the summer heat audibly groaning when the lights suddenly went off.
The repeated outages have also affected water supplies and household cooling as electric pumps and fans stop operating.
Cuba’s Ministry of Energy said authorities had begun procedures to restore the national grid.
The country has faced prolonged electricity shortages as aging power plants struggle to meet demand. Fuel shortages have further strained the system amid U.S. sanctions and restrictions affecting fuel supplies.
Washington authorized the arrival of a Russian tanker carrying about 100,000 tons of crude in March, but those reserves have since been exhausted, according to Cuban officials.
The Trump administration has also tightened sanctions against Cuban state-owned businesses, prompting some foreign companies to suspend operations in the country.
The worsening power crisis has triggered public frustration in some communities. Residents in heavily affected areas have protested by setting trash piles on fire and banging pots and pans.
Cuba’s latest blackout comes as Havana and Washington continue talks, although the two governments have reported limited progress.
The Cuban government has also introduced a series of market-oriented economic reforms as it seeks to address the country’s broader economic crisis.
