Cuba suffers second total power collapse in five days amid US fuel blockade
A total grid collapse on Friday afternoon left Cuba without electricity for the second time in a week, deepening an energy crisis fueled by aging power plants and a US oil blockade.
Second collapse in one week
At 16:30 local time (20:30 GMT) on Friday, 10 July 2026, Cuba’s National Electric System (SEN) suffered a total disconnection, the state-owned Unión Eléctrica (UNE) confirmed. The blackout, the second in five days, follows a similar collapse on Monday caused by a voltage fluctuation combined with low electricity production. That earlier outage took roughly 36 hours to resolve, with all provinces reconnected only by Wednesday. The Ministry of Energy and Mines said recovery protocols have been activated, but no cause has yet been given for Friday’s failure. The event marks the fourth nationwide collapse in 2026 and the ninth since late 2024.
No one gives up here!
An energy crisis years in the making
Cuba has been mired in a deep energy crisis since mid-2024, a situation that worsened sharply after US President Donald Trump threatened tariffs in January on any country that sells or supplies oil to the island. The country depends on seven ageing thermoelectric plants, some more than 40 years old, which suffer frequent breakdowns and must be taken offline for repairs. The main plant, Antonio Guiteras in Matanzas province, has been stopped more than fifteen times this year alone. A US fuel blockade, imposed to tighten economic pressure on Havana, has slashed the availability of diesel needed for backup generators. As a result, Cubans endure daily blackouts that last over 24 hours in Havana and can exceed 70 hours in interior provinces.
It is heroic what the electrical workers do in the midst of a genocidal energy blockade.
A slow path to restoration
Restoring Cuba’s grid is a laborious process that typically begins with small-scale sources: solar farms, hydroelectric installations, and distributed diesel generators. Operators gradually energise isolated areas, then interconnect them to provide enough power to restart the large thermoelectric stations. Based on previous experience, full recovery could take several days. After Monday’s blackout, it was not until Wednesday that UNE declared the entire island back online.
- National blackout triggered by voltage fluctuation and low production.
- Full restoration of electricity to all provinces.
- Total disconnection of SEN, second blackout in five days.
Government blames Washington
President Miguel Díaz-Canel accused the United States of trying to “induce a social explosion by asphyxiation” by blocking fuel access. Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy described the situation as “complex” but expressed confidence in workers, saying they are “dignified, committed and tackle the blackout every day.” His message was defiant, but the fragility of an electrical system that cannot meet demand without imported fuel was laid bare by the repeated collapses.
