**Nationwide Blackout in Cuba Ends After 29-Hour Power Outage** Cuba's power grid has been fully restored after a nationwide blackout that lasted over 29 hours, energy officials announced on Tuesday. The nationwide power outage, which affected the country's 10 million people, was triggered by a grid collapse that occurred on Monday. The power grid came back online by 6:11 p.m. (2211 GMT) on Tuesday. The blackout was the result of a severe fuel shortage, which has been exacerbated by the U.S. oil blockade. The blockade, which was tightened by the Trump administration, has made it difficult for Cuba to access oil supplies from Venezuela. In addition, the U.S. has threatened to impose tariffs on countries that ship fuel to the island nation. The U.S. State Department has blamed the Cuban government for the grid collapse, calling blackouts a "symptom of the failing regime's incompetence." However, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has fired back at Washington, criticizing its "almost daily public threats against Cuba." Diaz-Canel wrote on social media on Tuesday night, "They intend to and announce plans to take over the country, its resources, its properties, and even the very economy they seek to suffocate in order to force us to surrender." The power grid collapse has left many Cubans without access to basic necessities such as food and water. Havana resident Carlos Montes de Oca noted that the outages have thrown simple necessities into disarray. "It affects every aspect of our lives," he said. "All we can do is sit, wait, read a book... otherwise the stress gets to you." The Cuban government has not yet said what caused the nationwide grid failure. However, officials have acknowledged that power shortages may continue due to a lack of electricity generation. By midday on Tuesday, grid workers successfully fired up the Antonio Guiteras power plant, a decades-old behemoth that underpins the country's power grid. However, electricity generation is still far below what is necessary to cover demand, providing scarce relief for Cubans already exhausted from months of blackouts. The U.S. oil blockade has been a major contributor to Cuba's energy crisis. The blockade has made it difficult for the country to access oil supplies, leading to a severe fuel shortage. The situation has been exacerbated by the fact that many of Cuba's power plants are antiquated and unable to generate enough electricity to meet demand. Cubans have been experiencing frequent power outages, with many residents seeing 16 or more hours of blackout daily even before the latest grid collapse. The situation has taken a toll on the population, with many residents feeling stressed and anxious about the lack of access to basic necessities.