The entire island of Cuba was hit by a widespread power outage on Monday after the national electrical grid collapsed, leaving millions without electricity. The state-owned electric company, Unión Nacional Eléctrica (UNE), confirmed the outage and said work had begun to restore power.
Authorities said the blackout resulted from a “complete shutdown of the national grid,” underscoring the fragility of Cuba’s ageing energy infrastructure amid an acute fuel shortage. Daily power cuts of up to 20 hours have already been common in many parts of the country.
The crisis has been exacerbated by a tightening of U.S. pressure and sanctions that have effectively halted fuel imports – particularly Venezuelan oil, historically Cuba’s main energy lifeline – since early January. Critics and Cuban officials blame this de facto blockade for crippling the island’s ability to generate reliable power.
This latest blackout comes just weeks after a major outage earlier in March, part of several large-scale grid failures in recent months. The outages have fueled growing public frustration amid broader shortages of food, medicine, and essential services.
The widespread power loss has sparked social unrest in some regions, with protests breaking out over disruptions to daily life and basic services. Leaders within and outside Cuba have attributed the crisis to structural weaknesses in the energy sector compounded by limited access to imported fuel and spare parts.
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump has doubled down on hardline rhetoric, claiming the United States might “take” Cuba as the island reels under the crisis, even as talks between Cuban and U.S. officials continue on managing the situation.
The blackout highlights the deepening economic and humanitarian challenges facing Cuba’s approximately 11 million residents, as disruptions to power, transport, health services and the tourism sector intensify.
