Cuba experiences island-wide power outage as energy grid fails

Cuba's electricity network went offline on Friday, causing a blackout that affected the island's estimated 9 million inhabitants, the energy ministry said in a social-media post. The outage highlights the chronic strain on the country's aging power system, which officials attribute to persistent fuel shortages, deteriorating infrastructure and the impact of a U.S. oil embargo. Even when the grid operates, Cuba regularly endures rolling blackouts that disrupt daily life for millions.

The ministry did not provide an immediate timeline for restoring service, and authorities are assessing the extent of the damage to the generation and transmission facilities.