A nationwide blackout has added new challenges for Cuba’s government after its power grid collapsed.
VIEW ALL PHOTOS, leaving millions without electricity and deepening an economic crisis. It comes as Havana is facing mounting pressure at home and from Washington. Cuban authorities have not yet given a timeline for full restoration of the electric system, leaving 11 million people living in darkness as hospitals cancel surgeries and authorities impose strict gasoline rationing.
It is the third major power failure since December, adding to growing economic turmoil and political tensions with President Donald Trump, who recently said he might have the “honor of taking Cuba.” On Tuesday, he suggested there could be imminent action against its socialist government, which he described as overseeing a country that “is in very bad shape.”Cuba’s government has blamed the crisis on recent U.S. actions targeting its energy supplies, including an energy blockade that started in January that has effectively halted all oil shipments to the island. The U.S. has threatened other countries with penalties if they provide oil to Cuba. Since the blockade started, Cuba has not received any significant shipments or fuel or oil, creating an escalating crisis that led to blackouts, furthering the economic crisis and a fueling social uprising. The country only produces 40% of its total oil consumption needs, leaving it dependent on outside shipments to generate power and keep its fragile economy moving. American officials have blamed the blackouts on the Cuban government and its inability to provide basic goods and services for its people and called for new leadership. “Cuba has an economy that doesn’t work,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday. “The people in charge, they don’t know how to fix it. So they need to get new people in charge.” Cuba has restored some power on the island and has turned to natural gas, solar power and its own oil supplies to run its thermoelectric plants, though those measures are not enough to meet demand. The government has also issued strict limitations on electricity and gasoline usage as it tries to recover, but there are questions about how long it can hold out. “If they could find someone who would sell them oil, they might be able to buy some on the international market. They’ve imposed pretty tight austerity measures to cut back and on consumption,” said William LeoGrande, a Cuba expert at American University. “So can they sort of muddle through for months? Probably so. Is that a permanent solution? Absolutely not.”. There have been little details released publicly about the talks from either side, which President Miguel Díaz-Canel said were to find solutions for the “bilateral differences between our two nations.” Cuba also announced it was taking steps to open its economy to Cuban Americans and allow them to own and invest in private companies, a move officials hope will inject new capital into the struggling economy. The Trump administration has reportedly sought to remove Díaz-Canel from power in its push to enact change on the island, though analysts have questioned how much it would alter the political dynamics there. Trump has said Cuban leaders should avoid the fate of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who was captured and brought back to the U.S. to face drug charges.“They intend and announce plans to seize the country, its resources, its properties, and even the very economy they seek to strangle to make us surrender,” he wrote in a post on X. “And it uses an outrageous pretext: the harsh limitations of the weakened economy that they have attacked and sought to isolate for more than six decades.” Cuba analysts said the situation is significantly different than Venezuela, where the U.S. has held significant influence over the country’s interim government since capturing Maduro. Cuba’s communist leadership has much deeper roots and more institutionalized system that operates under rules set by its constitution. Cuba’s government has said it is willing to negotiate with Trump on a range of issues, including opening up its economy further, but has insisted it won’t discuss its constitution. A toppling of its government or total economic collapse also carries risks for the United States. A power vacuum could quickly lead to a humanitarian crisis, violent anarchy and mass migration toward the United States.“On the one hand, it looks like they've got all the cards, and the Cubans have none. But the consequences of not getting a deal for on the U.S. side could be pretty bad as well,” LeoGrande said. “They're making a bet, and it's a risky bet that the government is going to give in before the economy collapses completely.”The odds of filling out a perfect NCAA tournament bracket may be long, but one Ohio lottery player just beat steep odds of a different kind.A $60 million lotterFranklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security is urging residents, schools and businesses to take part in the annual Statewide Tornado Drill at 9:5A man remains in critical condition after what prosecutors call an unprovoked stabbing at a Newark discount store.A new Ohio law aimed at tightening restrictions on dangerous dogs takes effect Wednesday, increasing penalties for owners and adding new requirements for dogs dA 53-year-old former substitute teacher is charged with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor after the now-adult victim came forward alleging the two had sex ar
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