### Widespread Blackout Plunges Cuba Into Darkness; 10 Million Affected

In a striking collapse, Cuba's entire power grid failed on Friday, leaving the Caribbean nation completely without electricity. This extensive outage has impacted 10 million residents across the island. The crisis originated from a malfunction at one of the nation’s largest power facilities, the Antonio Guiteras power plant located in Matanzas, which broke down around midday.

Following days of intermittent blackouts, the total system failure marks a critical worsening of Cuba’s energy situation. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz attributed the catastrophe to aging infrastructure and fuel shortages. These issues have been further aggravated by the recent Hurricane Milton, which has obstructed the delivery of necessary fuel supplies to the island.

In a televised address on Thursday evening, Marrero Cruz assured citizens that efforts are being made to restore power, prioritizing residential areas. He revealed that severe measures are being taken to manage the situation, including halting operations of most economic activities to ensure a minimal supply of electricity to the population. This has necessitated the closure of public schools until Monday alongside all state enterprises and industries not deemed essential.

The prolonged blackout piles onto Cuba’s deepening economic problems, existing food shortages, and the pressing need for a functional power grid. Government officials have yet to specify when normalcy might return. The nation awaits the promised shipments of fuel and hopes for a swift resolution to their worsening plight.