Cuba’s lights back on after total blackout: Trump plan falters?
The conflict between Cuba and the U.S. continues (Photo: Getty Images)
On Tuesday, March 17, Cuba restored electricity across the country and brought its largest oil-fired power plant into operation, according to Reuters.
After 10 million residents were left without power overnight, the Caribbean island’s national energy system was fully restored by 6:11 p.m. local time.
This ended the nationwide blackout, which had lasted more than 29 hours amid US attempts to cut off oil supplies to the island.
At the same time, officials said that electricity shortages could persist because insufficient power is being generated. It is important to note that Cuba relies heavily on oil imports to produce electricity.
Reuters reports that, in addition to cutting oil supplies to Cuba, US President Donald Trump has intensified his rhetoric toward the island, which is under communist control. On Monday, he even stated that he could do whatever he wanted with the country.
Meanwhile, a US State Department spokesperson blamed the Cuban government for the collapse of the energy system, calling the blackout a symptom of the incompetence of a failing regime.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded by criticizing Washington, condemning the almost daily public threats from the US toward Cuba.
“They intend to and announce plans to take over the country, its resources, its properties, and even the very economy they seek to suffocate in order to force us to surrender,” Díaz-Canel wrote on social media Tuesday evening, shortly after power was restored nationwide.
What else is known
Recently, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel publicly confirmed for the first time that his country is negotiating with the US amid an economic crisis and increased political pressure from the Trump administration.
Trump himself said a few days ago that Washington could soon reach an agreement with Cuba or, conversely, take other actions regarding the island.
Regarding the energy crisis, on Tuesday, February 17, it was reported that Russia sent a tanker with more than 700,000 barrels of oil to Cuba. This occurred at a time when the country had already gone three months without fuel supplies.
