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Cuba Plunged into Darkness Amidst Fuel Crisis
5 Mar
Summary
- Two-thirds of Cuba lost power due to unexpected plant shutdown.
- Fuel shortages exacerbated by US pressure on oil imports.
- Airlines suspend services to Cuba because of fuel scarcity.
A significant power outage affected Cuba on Wednesday, plunging two-thirds of the island into darkness. Officials attributed the "unexpected" shutdown to a breakdown at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, impacting regions from Camaguey to Pinar del Rio, including Havana.
This widespread blackout underscores Cuba's chronic fuel shortages, exacerbated since January by U.S. pressure on oil shipments from Venezuela. The communist nation also faces a deficit in aviation fuel, prompting airlines like Air France to suspend services to Havana through mid-June.
These power cuts, some lasting up to 18 hours daily, have severely disrupted essential services like public transport, rubbish collection, and hospital operations. Cuba has historically relied on imported fuel and regional allies, but increased U.S. sanctions have tightened its energy supply.
The U.S. has maintained economic embargoes on Cuba since 1960, with recent administrations increasing pressure. Efforts are underway by Cuba's national electricity company, UNE, to restore power services following the outage.
