Cuba's Power Grid Collapses as US Tightens Oil Restrictions
Revised after bias review
Millions left in the dark across half the island
A blackout swept across western Cuba on Wednesday, cutting power to millions of people from the western province of Pinar del Rio to the central city of Camaguey. The outage affected Havana and surrounding regions as the island's electricity grid, already fragile from years of underinvestment and fuel shortages, buckled under the strain. Cuba's Electric Union confirmed the blackout on social media. The Guardian reports this is the latest in a series of outages affecting the island.
Washington tightens the squeeze
According to Bloomberg, the Trump administration has imposed tighter restrictions on oil access to Cuba. Cuba's government has taken tentative steps to loosen economic controls, according to Bloomberg, though the specific reforms are not detailed in available reporting. The Trump administration's tighter restrictions on oil access and Cuba's economic liberalization represent divergent policy approaches, according to Bloomberg.
U.S. restrictions have reduced the number of companies willing to sell oil to Cuba, leaving the state-run grid without enough fuel to operate reliably.
Diplomatic fallout spreads
According to Al Jazeera, Ecuador has expelled Cuba's ambassador, Basilio Gutierrez, and his entire diplomatic staff, giving them 48 hours to leave Quito. Ecuador's government gave no public reason for the expulsion, which comes as Cuba struggles to keep the lights on at home.
