Cuba Power Grid Collapse Triggers Nationwide Blackout Amid Deepening Energy Crisis

Cuba began gradually restoring electricity on Monday after the country’s national power grid suffered another major collapse, leaving millions without electricity and worsening an already severe energy crisis driven by fuel shortages and aging infrastructure.

State grid operator UNE said power had been restored to some essential services, including hospitals and food production facilities. However, by late afternoon, only about 1% of Havana’s electricity demand was being met. Authorities have not yet identified the cause of the nationwide grid failure.

The blackout marks Cuba’s eighth nationwide power outage since October 2025 and the third such incident this year, highlighting the island’s increasingly fragile electricity system. For months, Cubans have endured prolonged blackouts lasting from several hours to multiple days due to a deteriorating power grid and limited fuel supplies.

Energy shortages have intensified after the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump tightened sanctions targeting Cuba’s oil imports. The United States halted fuel shipments from Venezuela earlier this year, pressured Mexico to stop supplying oil, and warned other countries of potential tariffs if they continued delivering fuel to the island. Washington says the sanctions are intended to increase pressure on Cuba’s government, while Havana rejects the claim that it poses a security threat to the United States.

The latest outage has added to the daily hardships faced by residents already struggling with shortages of fuel, food, and medicine. High summer temperatures and a lack of electricity have made basic activities such as working, sleeping, and communicating increasingly difficult.

Many residents said they have grown accustomed to frequent blackouts, though frustration continues to mount. Some areas had already been without electricity before the nationwide collapse, while limited communications meant many people were unaware of the full extent of the outage. State television even urged those with electricity to inform friends and neighbors about the grid failure.

As restoration efforts continue, Cubans remain uncertain about when reliable electricity will return, with repeated nationwide blackouts underscoring the island’s worsening energy challenges and ongoing economic strain.