Second nationwide blackout in a week plunges 10 million Cubans into darkness
A transmission line fault between Santa Clara and Sancti Spíritus knocked out power across the island on Friday afternoon, marking the fourth total grid failure since the start of 2026.
What happened
On Friday afternoon, 10 July 2026, Cuba's national electricity grid collapsed entirely, leaving approximately 10 million people without power. The energy ministry confirmed the blackout and activated emergency protocols to restore service as quickly as possible. Authorities attributed the failure to a fluctuation in operational parameters after a transmission line fault between the provinces of Santa Clara and Sancti Spíritus. This was the second full-grid failure in less than a week, the fourth since the start of 2026, and the ninth since late 2024, underscoring the accelerating fragility of the island's power system.
An aging grid starved of fuel
Much of Cuba's generation infrastructure is over 30 years old and suffers from chronic under-maintenance. The country produces only 40% of its fuel needs domestically and relies heavily on imports. The last major shipment from Russia, a tanker carrying 730,000 barrels of crude, arrived in late March 2026 but was fully consumed by the end of April. With global oil suppliers wary of US retaliatory measures, replenishment has become increasingly difficult. After the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States, President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on any country selling or supplying oil to the island, further choking off fuel access.
Impact on daily life
Public transport has ground to a near halt across much of the island. Officials have postponed tens of thousands of scheduled surgeries as hospitals struggle without reliable electricity. In many regions, programmed blackouts already stretch beyond 24 consecutive hours, meaning the complete loss of the grid has compounded an already dire situation.
Government response and blame
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero acknowledged the severity of the crisis, describing the week as "particularly difficult." He noted that several generation units remain offline and that available fuel is insufficient to run the system normally. The Cuban government squarely blames US sanctions for deepening the emergency, arguing that restrictions on oil imports have critically hindered the country's ability to obtain fuel. Meanwhile, state electricity workers have begun gradual restoration efforts across multiple provinces, though no timeline for full grid recovery has been given.
It has been a particularly difficult week. Several generation units are still out of service and the available fuel is not enough for the system to operate normally.
