{"id":30621,"date":"2026-03-17T06:39:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T06:39:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/?p=30621"},"modified":"2026-03-17T06:39:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T06:39:28","slug":"trump-threatens-to-take-cuba-as-the-island-grapples-with-a-nationwide-blackout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/?p=30621","title":{"rendered":"Trump threatens to \u2018take\u2019 Cuba as the island grapples with a nationwide blackout"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cuba has not received oil shipments since early January amid US pressure, worsening the humanitarian crisis on the island.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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People gather on the street during an electricity blackout in Havana, Cuba [AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

United States President Donald Trump has promised to take over Cuba as the island nation plunged into total darkness after its national power grid collapsed amid an ongoing oil blockade imposed by Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know, all my life I\u2019ve been hearing about the United States and Cuba. When will the United States do it?\u201d Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do believe I\u2019ll be\u2026 having the honour of taking Cuba,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhether I free it, take it \u2013 think I could do anything I want with it. You want to know the truth. They\u2019re a very weakened nation right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was no immediate comment from Havana on Trump\u2019s comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The threat comes amid a total blackout on the Caribbean island, with Union Nacional Electrica de Cuba (UNE) announcing that the \u201ccomplete shutdown of the national grid\u201d has left the nation of 10 million without power. The state-owned company said it was working to restore electricity flows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ministry of Energy and Mines also noted a \u201ccomplete disconnection\u201d of the country\u2019s electrical system on X and said it was investigating, noting there were no failures in the units that were operating when the grid collapsed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

State media later reported that crews had restored power to 5 percent of Havana\u2019s residents, representing some 42,000 customers, as well as several hospitals across the island. Officials said they would prioritise the communications sector next, all while warning that the small circuits restored so far could fail again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was the third major blackout in Cuba over the past four months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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