Millions of Cubans were plunged into darkness on Saturday after the island’s national electric grid collapsed for a second time in less than a week and for a third time this month. The nationwide outage highlighted Cuba’s struggling, aging power infrastructure and the impact of a US-imposed oil blockade.
Union Eléctrica, the state-owned electricity company, said on social media: “At 18:32 (22:32 UTC), a total disconnection of the National Electric Power System occurred. We will continue to provide updates.”
Power outages — both nationwide and regional — have become common over the past two years because of breakdowns in Cuba’s ageing generation system. Daily blackouts of up to 20 hours affect parts of the island, which lacks sufficient fuel to run its economy. Cuba produces only about 40% of the fuel it needs.
The energy shortfall and broader economic crisis worsened after January 3, when the US effectively imposed an oil blockade following Washington’s removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — Cuba’s main ally and energy supplier. No oil has been imported to Cuba since January 9, hitting the electricity sector and the crucial tourism industry as airlines curtail flights.
Washington and Havana blame each other for the crisis. Cuba points to the US trade embargo and tightened restrictions for its economic and infrastructure failures; the US says Cuba’s centrally planned economy is to blame. The Trump administration has tied a potential lifting of sanctions to political concessions, demanding the release of political prisoners and steps toward economic and political liberalization. President Trump has also publicly expressed support for regime change in Cuba and even mentioned the possibility of a “friendly takeover.”
Edited by: Karl Sexton