Third energy collapse in Cuba in nine days, 10 million residents left in the dark

Cuba’s national power grid suffered another complete failure on Monday, plunging the island into a third massive blackout in just nine days. Around 10 million citizens were left without electricity.

State media sources reported that the grid collapse left the entire country in the dark, while technical teams are working to gradually restore electric service to affected areas.

The worsening energy situation in the country is mainly due to run-down generation plants, which for years have suffered from a lack of investment and obstacles in fuel procurement.

The Cuban government has repeatedly stressed that U.S. sanctions on oil have significantly narrowed access to fuel, increasing pressure on an already fragile infrastructure and exposing the system to frequent, widespread power outages.