The island nation of Cuba was plunged into darkness on Monday as a result of a prolonged oil blockade, which has been in effect since the Trump administration took action.
The blackout, which was described as a "total disconnection of the National Electric Power System," affected nearly 10 million people, causing widespread disruptions to daily life.
This is the third major blackout Cuba has experienced this year, following a major outage in March that was attributed to the US oil blockade.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel described the energy blockade as "genocidal," while the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, credited the US blockade for exacerbating the situation.
The blackout led to the cancellation of tens of thousands of surgeries nationwide, with public transportation also largely halted due to the lack of electricity.
The US oil blockade has been in place since the Trump administration took action, with the former president even stating that he would consider a "friendly takeover" of the island nation.
As the country struggles to restore power, officials have accused the US of contributing to Cuba's energy struggles, with the energy minister working to restore limited electricity service in some areas.
This is a developing story, with ongoing efforts to address the energy crisis and restore power to the affected areas.
