Cuba plunged into total blackout as entire power grid collapses

Cuba has been plunged into darkness after the island's national power grid completely failed, leaving residents without electricity. This marks the third such collapse since July, occurring amid a severe oil blockade of the island.

In January, US President Donald Trump ordered a halt to Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba — a move that followed the detention of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by American authorities. The White House chief later signed an executive order imposing tariffs on any country supplying oil to Cuba, which Washington has labeled an "extraordinary threat."

According to Reuters, the current power outages stem not only from the oil shortage but also from the island's severely deteriorated energy infrastructure.

Beyond the oil blockade, the Trump administration has tightened sanctions against Cuban state-owned enterprises, forcing many foreign companies to suspend operations in the country.

As a result, the island is enduring one of its most severe economic crises in decades. Due to the oil shortage, authorities have had to impose a series of strict restrictions and significantly cut back basic services for the population.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz