Power returned to Havana and other parts of western Cuba early Sunday after the latest in a series of widespread grid failures was fixed by the state-run electric company. Five of 15 provinces spent most of the night without electricity due to a 'partial collapse' of the electricity grid. Cuba is experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades, exacerbated by a fuel blockade imposed by US President Donald Trump since January. The fuel shortages have made the national grid more susceptible to outages and rendered the use of emergency generators, which typically run on diesel fuel, almost impossible.
In recent weeks, blackouts have lasted more than 30 hours in Havana and several days in other parts of the island. Since the start of 2026, Cuba has experienced five nationwide blackouts, three of them in July within a period of 10 days. Cubans are growing weary of the constant disruptions to daily life.
Background and Context
The seven thermal power plants that form the national grid's backbone have all been in operation for more than 40 years and are in various states of disrepair. Relations between Washington and Havana have been tense since the start of the year, especially since US forces snatched Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro from Caracas in early January and took him to the US to face federal charges. Maduro had long been a staunch ally of Cuba, providing cut-rate fuel.
Washington has authorized the arrival of only one Russian tanker—carrying 100,000 tons of crude—which came in March. Those reserves have since been exhausted. In addition to its oil blockade, the Trump administration has ramped up sanctions against Cuban state-owned businesses, prompting many foreign businesses to suspend operations in the country.
