Cuba has restored electricity nationwide after a blackout lasting more than 29 hours, with officials confirming that the national grid was fully reconnected by early Tuesday evening, though chronic shortages are expected to persist.
Energy authorities said power returned across the Caribbean island by 6:11pm local time (2211 GMT) after technicians brought the ageing Antonio Guiteras power plant back online.
The oil-fired facility is the largest in the country and a central pillar of the grid.
Despite the restoration, officials warned that electricity generation remains well below demand, meaning rolling outages are likely to continue.
Even before the collapse, many households were enduring blackouts of 16 hours or more each day.
The outage plunged the country’s 10 million people into darkness overnight and came amid heightened tensions with the United States (US), which has tightened pressure on Havana by cutting off oil supplies and threatening penalties against fuel shipments to the island.
Washington blamed the Cuban authorities for the failure with a US State Department official describing the blackout as a symptom of “regime incompetence.”
President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric on Monday, saying he could “do anything” with Cuba and suggesting the country was eager to strike a deal.
Cuban President Miguel DÃaz-Canel rejected the accusations, accusing Washington of issuing near-daily threats.
Writing on social media shortly after power was restored, he said the United States was seeking to “suffocate” Cuba’s economy in order to force its surrender.
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Havana has yet to explain the precise cause of Monday’s grid collapse, the first nationwide failure since oil shipments from Venezuela were halted and new US warnings were issued to fuel carriers.
Fuel scarcity and antiquated infrastructure continue to cripple generation as cloudy conditions on Monday further reduced output from solar parks, which account for a great share of daytime electricity.
According to ship-tracking data, Cuba has received only two small oil deliveries so far this year.
A Hong Kong-flagged tanker believed to be carrying fuel resumed its journey towards the island this week after weeks stalled in the Atlantic.
In Havana, residents described the daily toll of prolonged outages. “It affects every aspect of our lives,” said Carlos Montes de Oca, revealing disruptions to food storage and water supply.
Another resident, Juana Perez, said her home was still without electricity on Tuesday night but added: “We take it in stride, as Cubans always do.”
The crisis has unfolded alongside quiet talks between Havana and Washington, among the most severe diplomatic strains since Fidel Castro came to power in 1959.
According to reports, neither side has disclosed details, though Trump said action on Cuba would come “very soon.”
The blackout also overshadowed a fresh invitation from the Cuban government to Cuban Americans and other exiles to invest in and own businesses on the island, a move seen as a goodwill gesture.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed the offer as insufficient, saying Cuba needed sweeping political and economic change.
Havana insists any negotiations must respect national sovereignty and exclude internal affairs.
For now, reports added, ordinary Cubans remain braced for further disruption as the island struggles to keep its lights on.
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