Cuba Faces Nationwide Blackout Amid Ongoing Energy Crisis

Cuba experienced its fourth major blackout in five months on Friday night due to a failure at the Diezmero substation, resulting in widespread power outages across Havana and other provinces. The Ministry of Energy and Mines reported that this failure led to a significant loss of generation, affecting millions and leaving the streets dark, with only a few hotels operating on generators. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz stated that efforts to restore power were underway, though the situation highlighted ongoing issues with Cuba's aging electrical infrastructure and fuel shortages. Reports indicated that the national energy system was operating at a severe deficit, with 42% of capacity offline during peak demand. Frequent blackouts have exacerbated the already critical economic crisis on the island, leading to widespread food, medicine, and fuel shortages. Previous outages have sparked anti-government demonstrations, reflecting growing public discontent with the deteriorating living conditions.