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Cuba Faces Nationwide Blackout Amid Severe Energy Crisis

3/17/2026

Summary

Story summary

Cuba experienced a nationwide blackout on March 16, 2026, triggering a severe energy crisis affecting 11 million residents.
The collapse stems from aging infrastructure and a U.S. oil blockade, marking a third outage in four months.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed no oil shipments have arrived since January, worsening the crisis.
The U.S. administration, led by U.S. President Donald Trump, has threatened sanctions and discussed a "'friendly takeover' of Cuba."

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Story summary

Cuba experienced a nationwide blackout on March 16, 2026, triggering a severe energy crisis affecting 11 million residents.
The collapse stems from aging infrastructure and a U.S. oil blockade, marking a third outage in four months.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed no oil shipments have arrived since January, worsening the crisis.
The U.S. administration, led by U.S. President Donald Trump, has threatened sanctions and discussed a "'friendly takeover' of Cuba."