### Cuba Endures Second Major Blackout in 24 Hours Amid Aging Infrastructure Crisis

Cuba's vulnerable power grid suffered yet another island-wide blackout on Friday, just 24 hours after an initial outage, plunging the entire nation into the longest blackout it has experienced since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Despite efforts by energy officials to briefly restore power in some areas, another "total disconnection" was reported early Saturday.

Experts have long forecasted such a collapse, warning that Cuba’s reliance on power plants dating back nearly 50 years, combined with the cash-strapped Communist government’s struggle to afford imported fuel, would eventually lead to significant blackouts. Fidel Castro once labeled Cuba’s power infrastructure "prehistoric," a term that increasingly seems fitting in light of the current situation.

On Friday morning, the entire island was left in darkness, confirming years of grim predictions about the state of Cuba's energy system. Efforts to reinstate power were somewhat successful on Friday night, but these were short-lived as another complete outage occurred shortly thereafter.

Government officials, led by Lazaro Guerra, the electricity director for the Ministry of Energy and Mines, addressed the public on state television in an attempt to provide reassurance. Guerra indicated hopes for significant progress in restoring power over the weekend but cautioned that full reconnection could not be guaranteed.

Cuban authorities continue to grapple with the dire energy crisis, attempting to bring stability to the power grid and restore a sense of normalcy to the island’s 11 million residents. As of now, the uncertainty persists, leaving many Cubans braced for further disruptions.