Cuba’s power grid suffered a total collapse on Monday, according to the country’s state energy operator, marking the most recent blackout in recent years and the first since the Trump administration effectively cut off the Cuban regime’s access to oil, reports CNN.
Efforts are currently underway to restore power on the island, the state energy company reported.Nationwide power outages have occurred in Cuba in recent years. Cuban officials have blamed them on American sanctions, but critics also attribute them to the lack of investment.
The Cuban network is aging and increasingly difficult to maintain, and investments are lacking.
Cuba is heavily dependent on oil for energy, and the effective blockade imposed by Trump’s America has exacerbated the energy crisis in this country.
The crisis in Cuba has led to the rationing of medicines, frequent power outages, and a decrease in the number of tourists, officials say.
Fuel prices have risen dramatically, so much so that it can cost up to 300 dollars to fill a tank, that’s on the black market.
The Cuban dictator, Miguel Diaz-Canel, stated on Friday that no oil shipments have arrived on the island in the last three months. He also stated that Cuban officials are in talks with the US administration to “identify bilateral issues that can be resolved.”