- Cuba suffered a total blackout on Monday as the energy grid crumbled, marking the third nationwide power outage this year.
- Residents expressed their agony over the blackout, with one stating, 'Living like this is agony'.
- Power restoration efforts began in Havana after the blackout, but only 1% of the capital's electricity demand was met by late afternoon.
- Cuba has been experiencing severe energy shortages linked to a decrepit grid and a U.S.-imposed oil blockade that has cut off fuel supplies.
- The blackout is the eighth since October 2025, highlighting the ongoing energy crisis on the island.
- Power outages have been a feature of life in Cuba for years, with the electricity generation system primarily composed of ageing Soviet-era plants.
Cuba's national electric grid collapsed on Monday, marking the third nationwide blackout in 2023 and the eighth since late 2024. Nearly two-thirds of the country was without power when the grid failed, exacerbating existing shortages of food, medicine, and fuel.15
"Living like this is agony," said Meyboll Font, a 51-year-old resident, highlighting the severe impact on daily life.2
The state electricity company, UNE, reported that it was only able to provide electricity to 1% of Havana's demand by late afternoon.
The ongoing crisis is attributed to a combination of a decrepit grid and a U.S.-imposed oil blockade that has severely limited fuel supplies.4
"The heat, the mosquitoes, it's just unbearable," lamented Omar Ortega, a 60-year-old Havana resident.
The situation has forced many Cubans to rely on wood fires for cooking, as power cuts have lasted over 70 hours in some rural areas.
The UN has warned of a humanitarian emergency as the island's fragile economy teeters on the brink of collapse, with essential supplies dwindling.
"We have no wifi, no electricity, we can’t work," said a young software programmer, reflecting the broader impact on livelihoods.
The blackout underscores the urgent need for solutions as the country grapples with its ongoing energy crisis.
“The blackout left residents without internet or ability to work, with one software programmer saying 'we have no wifi, no electricity, we can't work.' Officials have not yet determined the cause, as the island endures its eighth nationwide blackout since late 2024 amid a US oil blockade.”
The Guardian
