Cuba experienced a nationwide power outage on Friday afternoon, marking the second such incident in less than a week. The state-run electricity company Unión Eléctrica de Cuba confirmed that electricity supply had been cut off across the country but did not provide an official explanation for the disruption. A similar blackout occurred earlier in the week on Monday, and this latest incident is the fourth nationwide outage reported this year.

The report attributes the worsening situation to an energy blockade linked to policies under former U.S. President Donald Trump. Cuba’s aging power infrastructure, much of which was built between the 1960s and 1980s during the Cold War, has long been vulnerable to breakdowns. The country has been under a U.S. trade embargo since the 1960s, which has further limited access to modern equipment and maintenance resources.

The repeated blackouts highlight the fragility of Cuba’s energy system and the growing impact of external restrictions on its already strained economy.