Cuba’s widening economic turmoil along with its with U.S. President Donald Trump have paralyzed much of the island and raised uncertainty about what’s next.
The country was this week by a blackout 鈥� the third big failure of its power grid since December 鈥� opening the door for Trump to suggest that he might have the 鈥渉onor of taking Cuba.”
鈥淚 mean, whether I free it, take it. I think I could do anything I want with it,鈥� Trump said on Monday.
Cuba is struggling under the weight of an that has halted oil shipments to the island over the past three months.
Many of the nation’s 11 million to keep food from spoiling. Hospitals have canceled surgeries. The leading university has due to the power outages and transportation shutdowns.
Here鈥檚 what to know about Cuba’s persistent blackouts and deepening crisis.
US leaders say power outages signal need for change
The U.S. State Department said Tuesday that the ongoing blackouts are a symptom of the Cuban government鈥檚 failure to provide the most basic needs for its people.
When asked about Cuba at an unrelated White House event on Tuesday, Trump turned to his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who is the son of Cuban immigrants.
Rubio said Cuba鈥檚 current political system and government can鈥檛 fix the country鈥檚 problems. 鈥淪o they have to change dramatically,鈥� Rubio said.
Cuba鈥檚 economic troubles are part of pressure campaign
The Trump administration is demanding that Cuba release political prisoners and move toward political and economic liberalization in return for a lifting of sanctions.
Trump has for months suggested Cuba鈥檚 government is on the verge of collapse and said after the U.S. ousted former that the increased economic pressure on the island meant the U.S. could have a 鈥渇riendly takeover鈥� there 鈥� though he has not clarified what that means.
Talks between the US and Cuba have been ongoing
confirmed last week that there have been discussions with Washington.
While he wouldn鈥檛 provide any specifics about the talks, he did say they were aimed at to the 鈥渂ilateral differences between our two nations.鈥�
Trump has suggested that top Cuban leaders would be smart to avoid the fate of Maduro, who was arrested in a U.S. military operation in January.
The Trump administration is , according to a U.S. official and a source with knowledge of talks between Washington and Havana, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive talks and did not offer any details about who the administration might like to see as a replacement.
Fuel is in short supply
Cuba has struggled with dwindling oil after the U.S. removed Venezuela’s leader, halting critical petroleum shipments from the nation. Trump then on any country selling or supplying Cuba with oil.
The island is relying on its own natural gas, solar power and its own oil to run thermoelectric plants, but that hasn鈥檛 been enough to meet demand.
The impact has been crippling. Buses have cut routes, gas is strictly rationed and a Cuban official said the .
That鈥檚 on top of what was already a , including food and medicine.
Power outages now are a daily occurrence in Cuba
Cuba鈥檚 aging grid has deteriorated in recent years to the point of . There are daily outages and more frequent major blackouts.
Its thermoelectric plants are in poor shape too, seeing little maintenance. U.S. sanctions have prevented the government from buying new equipment and specialized parts, officials have said.
Shortages of fuel oil and diesel also have limited power production.
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AP writers Aamer Madhani and Seung Min Kim contributed from Washington.
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