AI Generated Image
Cubans face sixth blackout as energy grid collapses under US pressure
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- Cuba experienced its sixth islandwide blackout since January, following U.S. sanctions that cut off the country's main energy source, oil, leading to severe power outages amid a worsening economic crisis.
- The blackouts, lasting over 20 hours daily, have forced residents like construction worker Alexey Ríos García to sleep outdoors on Havana’s Malecón to escape the intense summer heat and humidity.
- The energy crisis has severely impacted daily life, causing food spoilage, collapse of public transportation, strain on hospitals, and a downturn in the tourism industry, further exacerbating economic hardships.
- Despite a history of resilience under U.S. embargoes, many Cubans are increasingly feeling hopeless as rolling blackouts, shortages, and infrastructure failures continue to worsen.
- Authorities have acknowledged the ongoing issues and are working to restore power, but widespread outages persist, leaving communities struggling to cope with the combined effects of heat and energy scarcity.
