Cuba's national electric grid collapsed on Monday, the country's grid operator said, leaving about 10 million people without power amid a US-imposed oil blockade.
Grid operator UNE said on social media it is investigating the causes of the blackout, the latest in a series of widespread cuts that last for hours or days and that this weekend sparked a rare violent protest in the communist-run country.
This month about two thirds of the country was left without power for hours and at least six national blackouts have been reported in the past year. The Energy Ministry said it is also investigating the causes of the latest blackout and has begun protocols to re-establish service.
The US has increased pressure this year on long-time foe Cuba since capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro – Cuba's most important foreign benefactor – in January.
US President Donald Trump cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and threatened to impose tariffs on any country that sells oil to Cuba, strangling the Caribbean island's already antiquated grid. Mexico and Russia are two of Cuba's biggest oil suppliers.
Cuba said on Friday that it has entered into talks with the US in the hope of defusing the crisis. Mr Trump has said in recent weeks that Cuba is on the verge of collapse and is eager to make a deal with the US.
“Cuba also wants to make a deal. And I think we will pretty soon make a deal or do whatever we have to do,” Mr Trump said on Sunday. “We a lot of great people from Cuba that were violently and viciously thrown out of the country and worse, their families were killed. So, we’re talking to Cuba but we’re going to do Iran before Cuba."
Cuba has received only two small vessels carrying oil imports this year, according to Reuters. Venezuela, once Cuba's main oil supplier, has sent no fuel to the island this year.
Energy prices are soaring globally amid the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.
