Daijiworld Media Network – Havana

Havana, Aug 3: Cuba was plunged into darkness late on Sunday after the country's electricity grid collapsed, leaving nearly 10 million people without power as the island grapples with worsening energy shortages.

The state-owned grid operator, Union Eléctrica de Cuba, confirmed the nationwide outage through posts on X and Facebook but did not provide further details on the cause of the collapse.

The latest blackout follows three nationwide power failures in July and comes amid mounting pressure on Cuba's ageing energy infrastructure, which has been strained by fuel shortages.

The crisis has intensified following a US-imposed oil blockade that further disrupted fuel supplies to the island. Cuba also lost a major source of crude after Washington's January 3 ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Venezuela had long been Cuba's principal oil supplier, while imports from Mexico have also been affected amid increased US pressure.

With fuel imports becoming increasingly difficult, Cuba has begun cautiously opening its tightly controlled energy sector. The government has recently approved its first foreign-backed fuel import venture and allowed nearly 200 Cuban businesses to participate in wholesale fuel distribution in an effort to ease the ongoing energy crisis.