Major Blackout Strikes Western Cuba Amid Ongoing Power Crisis

A widespread power outage left much of western Cuba in darkness on Tuesday. The blackout highlights the severe and ongoing problems within the country's national electricity grid. Cuba's energy system has suffered from years of underinvestment and fuel shortages. These chronic issues have led to frequent, smaller-scale blackouts across the island for months. The struggling power grid is one part of a larger economic crisis. This crisis has grown worse due to several factors: the pandemic's damage to tourism, tighter U.S. sanctions, and a failed currency reform plan. Authorities are working to restore power, but officials warn that the electrical system remains unstable. Residents should prepare for continued periodic outages.