After a nationwide blackout which left the entire population without electricity for 29 hours, Cuba has managed to restore power. The outage, one of several in recent months, reflects a deepening energy crisis caused by fuel shortages and an ageing power grid. Although the national system is now back online, officials warn that electricity supply remains unstable and unable to meet demand. The crisis has been intensified by Donald Trump’s decision to cut off the island’s oil supply from Venezuela and threats to slap tariffs on countries which ship fuel to the nation. He has also upped his rhetoric against Cuba, saying that he could do ‘anything he wanted’ to the country. Many households were already experiencing long daily outages before the collapse, disrupting food, water and essential services. Tensions between Cuba and the USA continue to escalate, although they are engaged in talks aimed at easing the situation. For ordinary citizens, the hardship continues despite partial recovery, as they face ongoing uncertainty and limited resources in daily life.