\n<\/p>\n
Cuba\u2019s Ambassador to Ecuador Basilio Gutierrez and his diplomatic staff were given 48 hours to leave Quito.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\nListen to this article<\/span>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span>4 mins<\/span><\/p>\n<\/button>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"byline byline--single-avatar\">\n<div class=\"avatars-container\">\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2017-06-08T131939Z_1189275883_RC11B0FE7F20_RTRMADP_3_GULF-QATAR-JAZEERA-1714943623.jpg?resize=96%2C96&quality=80 96w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 96px) 96px, 96px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 5 Mar 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">5 Mar 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<p>Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"icon icon--share2 icon--primary icon--16 \" viewbox=\"0 0 20 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>share2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 2.351S14 12.698 14 11.399s-1.035-2.35-2.312-2.35Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"google-preferred-source\"><button class=\"google-preferred-source__button\" aria-label=\"Add Al Jazeera on Google\" data-testid=\"google-preferred-source-button\"><svg class=\"icon icon--plus2 icon--primary icon--12 google-preferred-source__add-icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>plus2<\/title><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M10.571 13.429H3.43c-.405 0-.744-.137-1.018-.411A1.382 1.382 0 0 1 2 12c0-.405.137-.744.41-1.018.275-.274.614-.41 1.019-.41h7.142V3.428c0-.405.137-.744.411-1.018C11.256 2.137 11.595 2 12 2s.744.137 1.018.41c.274.275.41.614.41 1.019v7.142h7.143c.405 0 .744.137 1.018.411.274.274.411.613.411 1.018s-.137.744-.41 1.018c-.274.274-.614.41-1.019.41H13.43v7.143c0 .405-.137.744-.411 1.018-.274.274-.613.411-1.018.411s-.744-.137-1.018-.41a1.382 1.382 0 0 1-.41-1.019V13.43Z\"\/><\/svg><svg class=\"icon icon--google icon--primary icon--16 google-preferred-source__google-icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 17 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>google<\/title><g fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-path=\"url(#a)\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"><path fill=\"#4285F4\" d=\"M16.18 8.181c0-.567-.051-1.112-.145-1.636H8.5v3.094h4.305a3.68 3.68 0 0 1-1.596 2.415v2.007h2.585c1.513-1.393 2.386-3.443 2.386-5.88Z\"\/><path fill=\"#34A853\" d=\"M8.5 16c2.16 0 3.971-.717 5.295-1.939l-2.586-2.007c-.716.48-1.633.764-2.709.764-2.083 0-3.847-1.407-4.476-3.298H1.35v2.072A7.997 7.997 0 0 0 8.501 16Z\"\/><path fill=\"#FBBC05\" d=\"M4.024 9.519c-.16-.48-.251-.993-.251-1.52s.09-1.04.25-1.52V4.406H1.352A7.997 7.997 0 0 0 .5 8c0 1.29.31 2.513.85 3.593l2.674-2.073Z\"\/><path fill=\"#EA4335\" d=\"M8.5 3.182c1.175 0 2.23.403 3.058 1.196l2.295-2.294C12.467.793 10.656 0 8.5 0a7.997 7.997 0 0 0-7.149 4.407L4.024 6.48C4.653 4.59 6.417 3.182 8.5 3.182Z\"\/><\/g><defs><clippath id=\"a\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M.5 0h16v16H.5z\"\/><\/clippath><\/defs><\/svg><span class=\"google-preferred-source__text\">Add Al Jazeera on Google<\/span><\/button><button tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"See more of Al Jazeera\u2019s trusted journalism by adding us as a preferred source on Google.\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><svg class=\"icon icon--info icon--primary icon--16 google-preferred-source__info-icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p class=\"tr-story-p1\">A power outage has struck most of Cuba, including the capital Havana, the state electric utility said, as the administration of United States President Donald Trump continues its attempts to cripple the Caribbean nation by curtailing vital oil shipments.<\/p>\n<p>News of the widespread power outage on Wednesday emerged as the country\u2019s diplomatic relations with Latin American neighbour Ecuador plummeted after the expulsion of Havana\u2019s top envoy and diplomatic staff from the Ecuadorian capital Quito was announced.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 3 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p class=\"tr-story-p1\">Cuban state media outlet Cubadebate said the blackout was caused by a fault at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, located about 100km (62 miles) east of Havana, which cut electricity from Pinar del Rio in the far west of the country to the eastern Las Tunas province.<\/p>\n<p>In all, two-thirds of the country, including Havana, were left without power, according to the national electric company UNE, which said it was working to restore services.<\/p>\n<p>In Havana, the outage briefly took Cuban state TV off the air. Its afternoon national news broadcast started more than half an hour after its scheduled airtime, with a presenter explaining the delay was due to the blackout.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4366001\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4366001\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4366001\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-04T214418Z_215869254_RC2WXJAY2LND_RTRMADP_3_CUBA-CRISIS-POWER-1772672821.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80\" alt=\"People play dominoes on the street during a mass blackout across most of the country, in Havana, Cuba March 4, 2026. REUTERS\/Norlys Perez\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4366001\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">People play dominoes on the street during a mass blackout across most of the country, in Havana, Cuba, on Wednesday [Norlys Perez\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Cuba\u2019s electricity generation system has been in shambles for years. Daily power outages of up to 20 hours are the norm in parts of the impoverished island, which lacks the fuel needed to generate power.<\/p>\n<p>The electricity crisis has become more acute since the US abducted Cuba\u2019s top ally, President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, in January.<\/p>\n<p>Venezuela had supplied about half of Cuba\u2019s fuel, but Washington cut off that supply after abducting Maduro and imposing an oil embargo on Havana, which it has eased somewhat, amid warnings from other Caribbean countries that it could trigger an economic collapse in the country.<\/p>\n<p>The fuel scarcity has also forced Cuba\u2019s government to ration key services, including waste collection and public transportation.<\/p>\n<h3>Trump\u2019s \u2018friendly takeover\u2019 of Cuba<\/h3>\n<p class=\"tr-story-p1\">In another sign of intense US pressure, Ecuador declared Cuban Ambassador Basilio Gutierrez and his diplomatic staff \u201cpersona non grata\u201d, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday, giving them 48 hours to leave the country.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities did not explain why Ecuador\u2019s President Daniel Noboa\u2019s government made the decision, but cited Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which allows a country to declare \u2013 at any time \u2013 any member of a diplomatic mission persona non grata \u2013 unwelcome or unacceptable \u2013 in the receiving country.<\/p>\n<p>President Noboa is a close ally of US President Donald Trump, who in recent days suggested that the US could carry out a \u201cfriendly takeover\u201d of Cuba.<\/p>\n<p>Ecuador did not address whether the move against the Cuban embassy implied a formal break in diplomatic relations with Havana.<\/p>\n<p>Cuba\u2019s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla fired back in a post on social media, saying he rejected \u201cin the strongest terms the arbitrary and unjustified decision of the government of Ecuador to expel all personnel from the Cuban Embassy in that country\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt does not seem coincidental that this decision was taken in a context characterised by the intensification of US aggression against Cuba and the strong pressures from that country\u2019s government on third states to join that policy,\u201d he said on the X platform.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCuba is convinced that the Ecuadorian people will know how to defend the bonds of solidarity and brotherhood,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cuba\u2019s Ambassador to Ecuador Basilio Gutierrez and his diplomatic staff were given 48 hours to leave Quito. Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a04 mins info Published On 5 Mar 20265 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo A power outage has struck most of Cuba, including the capital […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13945,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latin-america-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13944"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13944\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Listen to this article<\/span>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span>4 mins<\/span><\/p>\n<\/button>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"byline byline--single-avatar\">\n<div class=\"avatars-container\">\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2017-06-08T131939Z_1189275883_RC11B0FE7F20_RTRMADP_3_GULF-QATAR-JAZEERA-1714943623.jpg?resize=96%2C96&quality=80 96w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 96px) 96px, 96px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 5 Mar 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">5 Mar 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<p>Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"icon icon--share2 icon--primary icon--16 \" viewbox=\"0 0 20 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>share2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 2.351S14 12.698 14 11.399s-1.035-2.35-2.312-2.35Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"google-preferred-source\"><button class=\"google-preferred-source__button\" aria-label=\"Add Al Jazeera on Google\" data-testid=\"google-preferred-source-button\"><svg class=\"icon icon--plus2 icon--primary icon--12 google-preferred-source__add-icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>plus2<\/title><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M10.571 13.429H3.43c-.405 0-.744-.137-1.018-.411A1.382 1.382 0 0 1 2 12c0-.405.137-.744.41-1.018.275-.274.614-.41 1.019-.41h7.142V3.428c0-.405.137-.744.411-1.018C11.256 2.137 11.595 2 12 2s.744.137 1.018.41c.274.275.41.614.41 1.019v7.142h7.143c.405 0 .744.137 1.018.411.274.274.411.613.411 1.018s-.137.744-.41 1.018c-.274.274-.614.41-1.019.41H13.43v7.143c0 .405-.137.744-.411 1.018-.274.274-.613.411-1.018.411s-.744-.137-1.018-.41a1.382 1.382 0 0 1-.41-1.019V13.43Z\"\/><\/svg><svg class=\"icon icon--google icon--primary icon--16 google-preferred-source__google-icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 17 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>google<\/title><g fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-path=\"url(#a)\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"><path fill=\"#4285F4\" d=\"M16.18 8.181c0-.567-.051-1.112-.145-1.636H8.5v3.094h4.305a3.68 3.68 0 0 1-1.596 2.415v2.007h2.585c1.513-1.393 2.386-3.443 2.386-5.88Z\"\/><path fill=\"#34A853\" d=\"M8.5 16c2.16 0 3.971-.717 5.295-1.939l-2.586-2.007c-.716.48-1.633.764-2.709.764-2.083 0-3.847-1.407-4.476-3.298H1.35v2.072A7.997 7.997 0 0 0 8.501 16Z\"\/><path fill=\"#FBBC05\" d=\"M4.024 9.519c-.16-.48-.251-.993-.251-1.52s.09-1.04.25-1.52V4.406H1.352A7.997 7.997 0 0 0 .5 8c0 1.29.31 2.513.85 3.593l2.674-2.073Z\"\/><path fill=\"#EA4335\" d=\"M8.5 3.182c1.175 0 2.23.403 3.058 1.196l2.295-2.294C12.467.793 10.656 0 8.5 0a7.997 7.997 0 0 0-7.149 4.407L4.024 6.48C4.653 4.59 6.417 3.182 8.5 3.182Z\"\/><\/g><defs><clippath id=\"a\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M.5 0h16v16H.5z\"\/><\/clippath><\/defs><\/svg><span class=\"google-preferred-source__text\">Add Al Jazeera on Google<\/span><\/button><button tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"See more of Al Jazeera\u2019s trusted journalism by adding us as a preferred source on Google.\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><svg class=\"icon icon--info icon--primary icon--16 google-preferred-source__info-icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p class=\"tr-story-p1\">A power outage has struck most of Cuba, including the capital Havana, the state electric utility said, as the administration of United States President Donald Trump continues its attempts to cripple the Caribbean nation by curtailing vital oil shipments.<\/p>\n<p>News of the widespread power outage on Wednesday emerged as the country\u2019s diplomatic relations with Latin American neighbour Ecuador plummeted after the expulsion of Havana\u2019s top envoy and diplomatic staff from the Ecuadorian capital Quito was announced.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 3 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p class=\"tr-story-p1\">Cuban state media outlet Cubadebate said the blackout was caused by a fault at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, located about 100km (62 miles) east of Havana, which cut electricity from Pinar del Rio in the far west of the country to the eastern Las Tunas province.<\/p>\n<p>In all, two-thirds of the country, including Havana, were left without power, according to the national electric company UNE, which said it was working to restore services.<\/p>\n<p>In Havana, the outage briefly took Cuban state TV off the air. Its afternoon national news broadcast started more than half an hour after its scheduled airtime, with a presenter explaining the delay was due to the blackout.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4366001\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4366001\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4366001\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-04T214418Z_215869254_RC2WXJAY2LND_RTRMADP_3_CUBA-CRISIS-POWER-1772672821.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80\" alt=\"People play dominoes on the street during a mass blackout across most of the country, in Havana, Cuba March 4, 2026. REUTERS\/Norlys Perez\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4366001\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">People play dominoes on the street during a mass blackout across most of the country, in Havana, Cuba, on Wednesday [Norlys Perez\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Cuba\u2019s electricity generation system has been in shambles for years. Daily power outages of up to 20 hours are the norm in parts of the impoverished island, which lacks the fuel needed to generate power.<\/p>\n<p>The electricity crisis has become more acute since the US abducted Cuba\u2019s top ally, President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, in January.<\/p>\n<p>Venezuela had supplied about half of Cuba\u2019s fuel, but Washington cut off that supply after abducting Maduro and imposing an oil embargo on Havana, which it has eased somewhat, amid warnings from other Caribbean countries that it could trigger an economic collapse in the country.<\/p>\n<p>The fuel scarcity has also forced Cuba\u2019s government to ration key services, including waste collection and public transportation.<\/p>\n<h3>Trump\u2019s \u2018friendly takeover\u2019 of Cuba<\/h3>\n<p class=\"tr-story-p1\">In another sign of intense US pressure, Ecuador declared Cuban Ambassador Basilio Gutierrez and his diplomatic staff \u201cpersona non grata\u201d, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday, giving them 48 hours to leave the country.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities did not explain why Ecuador\u2019s President Daniel Noboa\u2019s government made the decision, but cited Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which allows a country to declare \u2013 at any time \u2013 any member of a diplomatic mission persona non grata \u2013 unwelcome or unacceptable \u2013 in the receiving country.<\/p>\n<p>President Noboa is a close ally of US President Donald Trump, who in recent days suggested that the US could carry out a \u201cfriendly takeover\u201d of Cuba.<\/p>\n<p>Ecuador did not address whether the move against the Cuban embassy implied a formal break in diplomatic relations with Havana.<\/p>\n<p>Cuba\u2019s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla fired back in a post on social media, saying he rejected \u201cin the strongest terms the arbitrary and unjustified decision of the government of Ecuador to expel all personnel from the Cuban Embassy in that country\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt does not seem coincidental that this decision was taken in a context characterised by the intensification of US aggression against Cuba and the strong pressures from that country\u2019s government on third states to join that policy,\u201d he said on the X platform.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCuba is convinced that the Ecuadorian people will know how to defend the bonds of solidarity and brotherhood,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cuba\u2019s Ambassador to Ecuador Basilio Gutierrez and his diplomatic staff were given 48 hours to leave Quito. Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a04 mins info Published On 5 Mar 20265 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo A power outage has struck most of Cuba, including the capital […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13945,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latin-america-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13944"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13944\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/button>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"byline byline--single-avatar\">\n<div class=\"avatars-container\">\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2017-06-08T131939Z_1189275883_RC11B0FE7F20_RTRMADP_3_GULF-QATAR-JAZEERA-1714943623.jpg?resize=96%2C96&quality=80 96w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 96px) 96px, 96px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 5 Mar 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">5 Mar 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<p>Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"icon icon--share2 icon--primary icon--16 \" viewbox=\"0 0 20 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>share2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 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aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p class=\"tr-story-p1\">A power outage has struck most of Cuba, including the capital Havana, the state electric utility said, as the administration of United States President Donald Trump continues its attempts to cripple the Caribbean nation by curtailing vital oil shipments.<\/p>\n<p>News of the widespread power outage on Wednesday emerged as the country\u2019s diplomatic relations with Latin American neighbour Ecuador plummeted after the expulsion of Havana\u2019s top envoy and diplomatic staff from the Ecuadorian capital Quito was announced.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 3 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p class=\"tr-story-p1\">Cuban state media outlet Cubadebate said the blackout was caused by a fault at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, located about 100km (62 miles) east of Havana, which cut electricity from Pinar del Rio in the far west of the country to the eastern Las Tunas province.<\/p>\n<p>In all, two-thirds of the country, including Havana, were left without power, according to the national electric company UNE, which said it was working to restore services.<\/p>\n<p>In Havana, the outage briefly took Cuban state TV off the air. Its afternoon national news broadcast started more than half an hour after its scheduled airtime, with a presenter explaining the delay was due to the blackout.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4366001\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4366001\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4366001\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-04T214418Z_215869254_RC2WXJAY2LND_RTRMADP_3_CUBA-CRISIS-POWER-1772672821.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80\" alt=\"People play dominoes on the street during a mass blackout across most of the country, in Havana, Cuba March 4, 2026. REUTERS\/Norlys Perez\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4366001\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">People play dominoes on the street during a mass blackout across most of the country, in Havana, Cuba, on Wednesday [Norlys Perez\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Cuba\u2019s electricity generation system has been in shambles for years. Daily power outages of up to 20 hours are the norm in parts of the impoverished island, which lacks the fuel needed to generate power.<\/p>\n<p>The electricity crisis has become more acute since the US abducted Cuba\u2019s top ally, President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, in January.<\/p>\n<p>Venezuela had supplied about half of Cuba\u2019s fuel, but Washington cut off that supply after abducting Maduro and imposing an oil embargo on Havana, which it has eased somewhat, amid warnings from other Caribbean countries that it could trigger an economic collapse in the country.<\/p>\n<p>The fuel scarcity has also forced Cuba\u2019s government to ration key services, including waste collection and public transportation.<\/p>\n<h3>Trump\u2019s \u2018friendly takeover\u2019 of Cuba<\/h3>\n<p class=\"tr-story-p1\">In another sign of intense US pressure, Ecuador declared Cuban Ambassador Basilio Gutierrez and his diplomatic staff \u201cpersona non grata\u201d, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday, giving them 48 hours to leave the country.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities did not explain why Ecuador\u2019s President Daniel Noboa\u2019s government made the decision, but cited Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which allows a country to declare \u2013 at any time \u2013 any member of a diplomatic mission persona non grata \u2013 unwelcome or unacceptable \u2013 in the receiving country.<\/p>\n<p>President Noboa is a close ally of US President Donald Trump, who in recent days suggested that the US could carry out a \u201cfriendly takeover\u201d of Cuba.<\/p>\n<p>Ecuador did not address whether the move against the Cuban embassy implied a formal break in diplomatic relations with Havana.<\/p>\n<p>Cuba\u2019s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla fired back in a post on social media, saying he rejected \u201cin the strongest terms the arbitrary and unjustified decision of the government of Ecuador to expel all personnel from the Cuban Embassy in that country\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt does not seem coincidental that this decision was taken in a context characterised by the intensification of US aggression against Cuba and the strong pressures from that country\u2019s government on third states to join that policy,\u201d he said on the X platform.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCuba is convinced that the Ecuadorian people will know how to defend the bonds of solidarity and brotherhood,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cuba\u2019s Ambassador to Ecuador Basilio Gutierrez and his diplomatic staff were given 48 hours to leave Quito. Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a04 mins info Published On 5 Mar 20265 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo A power outage has struck most of Cuba, including the capital […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13945,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latin-america-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13944"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13944\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}