HAVANA—Cuba's state-run utility company, Union Electrica, worked to restore power across the island Saturday after a blackout left many areas in darkness. Nearly half of the utility's customers in Havana had regained electricity, the company announced on social media.
The outage marked at least the sixth blackout this year. Cuban authorities told Reuters the collapse resulted from a failure in high-voltage transmission lines in the central part of the country, compounded by unstable weather.
Cuba has experienced sporadic blackouts for years due to aging infrastructure and persistent fuel shortages. The frequency has increased since the United States imposed an energy blockade in January.
United Nations human rights experts have condemned the U.S. oil blockade, asserting it violates international law and warning that Cuba risks severe humanitarian consequences as shortages and blackouts intensify.
Frank Lorenzo, 23, a Havana resident, told Reuters he endured 24 hours without power before the grid collapsed. "They turned the lights on for an hour, and then the grid collapsed," he said.
Lidia Fernandez, a 36-year-old teacher, told AFP that fuel scarcity complicates efforts to operate backup generators, which rely on imported diesel. "It's one thing after another: no water, no gas for cooking, no electricity," she said.
