Two-thirds of Cuba, including Havana, hit by blackout

Two-thirds of Cuba, including the capital Havana, have been hit by a major blackout after a failure in the national power grid, the state electricity company UNE said.

The outage began shortly after noon on Wednesday following an "unexpected" breakdown at the Antonio Guiteras power plant, one of the island’s largest facilities.

UNE said the failure affected central and western regions of the country.

Cuba's electricity system has been struggling for years, with daily power outages lasting up to 20 hours in some areas as the island faces severe fuel shortages.

The crisis in the country of about 9.6 million people has intensified in recent months.

Venezuela, previously Cuba's main fuel supplier, provided about half of the island's fuel needs.

Shipments from Caracas to Havana have become uncertain following political developments involving the abduction of the Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, by the US forces in January.

Washington has maintained pressure on Havana through economic measures, including restrictions affecting energy supplies.

Cuban authorities have introduced a series of emergency measures to cope with the crisis.

These include suspending diesel sales, rationing petrol, reducing hospital services and encouraging teleworking.

Public transport has also been sharply reduced, causing prices for private transport services to surge.

Trade embargo

The island has faced a US trade embargo since 1962 and has struggled with economic difficulties marked by fuel shortages, limited medical supplies and repeated power outages.

Havana has accused Washington of trying to strangle the country’s economy, while US officials have defended their policies by citing security concerns and human rights issues.

The energy crisis has also begun affecting international travel.

Air France announced it would suspend flights to Havana due to jet fuel shortages on the island, following similar decisions by other airlines in recent weeks.

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Source: TRT