• Cuba faced a nationwide blackout affecting about 10 million people amid an ongoing energy crisis.
• The electrical grid restoration has been slow, with only partial power recovery reported after 29 hours of darkness.
• The crisis is exacerbated by a US oil blockade that has left Cuba's infrastructure in a state of disrepair.
• Cubans endure extensive daily blackouts, with many facing over 16 hours without power.
• Ongoing discussions between Cuba and the US aim to address these critical energy supply issues.

Cuba's electrical grid collapsed, plunging the entire nation into darkness on March 16, affecting approximately 10 million residents. Officials attributed the collapse to prolonged fuel shortages and an obsolete generation system, while also pointing to a U.S.-imposed oil blockade contributing to the crisis. Initially, the Ministry of Energy and Mines announced a "complete disconnection" of the electrical system and began investigating the causes, with many homes relying on candles and temporary solutions during the blackout, according to Indiatimes.

By March 17, reports indicated that power had been restored to approximately 45% of Havana's 1.7 million residents, but many still faced daily outages of 15 to 48 hours due to an aging grid heavily reliant on thermal power plants over 40 years old. Before this incident, Havana was already experiencing blackouts, causing significant distress among residents who noted the outages disrupted essential services such as food and water supply, according to Reuters and AA.

The U.S. continues to play a contentious role by obstructing oil shipments from Venezuela, Cuba's primary supplier, which has intensified the island’s suffering. Recent comments from U.S. President Donald Trump revealed a desire to maintain pressure on the Cuban government by applying sanctions on countries that supply fuel to the island. In response, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel criticized these threats as efforts to destabilize the nation, according to Al Jazeera and AA.

Despite the restoration efforts, the country still faces challenges due to low electricity generation, primarily from reliance on aging thermal power plants and insufficient fuel imports. Although some parts of the grid were brought back online, officials warned that complete recovery would take time and that ongoing fuel shortages would likely lead to continued hardships for the Cuban populace, according to Reuters and Indiatimes.