Millions without electricity as Cuba's power grid collapses

Cuba's chronic fuel shortages have been exacerbated by a US blockade on oil shipments to the island.

Cuba experienced a massive islandwide blackout affecting all 11 million residents amid a worsening energy and economic crisis. The Ministry of Energy and Mines reported a 'complete disconnection' of the electrical system, though no specific failures in operating units were identified. Efforts to gradually restart critical thermoelectric plants are underway, but authorities acknowledged the restored circuits remain fragile. This marks the third major blackout in four months.

Cuba ha sufrido un apagón total debido a la desconexión completa de su Sistema Electroenergético Nacional (SEN), afectando a casi 10 millones de habitantes. Es el sexto colapso total del sistema en el último año y medio. Aunque aún no se han confirmado las causas, las autoridades han descartado fallos en termoeléctricas y han activado protocolos para restablecer el servicio. La red eléctrica cubana, fragmentada por islas de generación, presenta serias dificultades para su reinicio, proceso que puede durar días. Este evento revela nuevamente la fragilidad del sistema energético del país, basado en plantas termoeléctricas obsoletas y muy dependiente del combustible importado, principalmente desde Venezuela y México.

Cuba experienced an islandwide blackout on Monday, marking the third major outage in just four months amid escalating energy and economic challenges. The country’s aging infrastructure and limited energy resources have contributed to the grid’s vulnerability. A previous blackout affected western Cuba a week earlier, impacting millions of residents. President Miguel Díaz-Canel noted that Cuba has not received any oil shipments for over three months, forcing reliance on solar energy, natural gas, and deteriorating thermoelectric plants. The Cuban government attributes the crisis to a U.S. energy blockade, while former U.S. President Donald Trump had issued warnings in January about imposing tariffs on countries supplying oil to the island. The Associated Press accompanied the report with a curated photo gallery depicting the impact of the blackout.