Cuba Begins to Restore Power to Havana Following Nationwide Blackout

Cuba began to slowly restore power on Monday after the country's national electric grid collapsed earlier in the day, the latest blow to an island already suffering from severe energy, fuel and medicine shortages.



Grid operator UNE said it was providing electricity to some vital services, including hospitals and food production centers, but by late afternoon was able to serve only 1% of the capital Havana's demand.



Officials have not yet said what caused the grid to collapse.



Cuba has for months suffered from hours-long and, more recently, days-long power outages linked in part to a decrepit grid and a U.S.-imposed oil blockade that has cut off the island's fuel supply.