September 19, 2026 | 12:30 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Cuba's power grid suffered a total collapse on Friday, triggering another nationwide blackout and leaving millions without electricity as the island grapples with an ongoing US fuel blockade.
"A total disconnection of the electrical system has occurred," the Energy Ministry posted on X, as only 5% of Havana had electricity.
State-run utility UNE blamed a failure in transmission lines and unstable weather for the nationwide blackout — the 7th this year and the 12th since late 2024 — as fuel shortages and deteriorating infrastructure take their toll.
"It's one thing after another: no water, no gas for cooking, no electricity," 36-year-old Lidia Fernandez told the AFP news agency. "Honestly, I don't know how we haven't gone crazy."
Cubans say problem growing
Blackouts lasting more than 30 hours have become common in Havana, while some provinces have endured outages exceeding 60 hours.
The power cuts have also disrupted water supplies, cooking gas, telecommunications and transportation.
Cuba, home to more than 9 million people, is also facing a deepening economic crisis.
An independent study released this week estimated that 66% of the population now lives in poverty, up from 45% in mid-2025, citing rising food prices as a key factor.
"No one can stand these constant blackouts. There isn't enough food, there's no water, there's no electricity — you have no idea," Mercedes Rodriguez, 60, told AP. "The country is in such a sad state, and there are no words for what we're going through."
How have US sanctions impacted Cuba?
Cuba's aging power plants rely heavily on imported fuel, which has become increasingly scarce amid US restrictions imposed in January.
US President Donald Trump's administration tightened sanctions and enacted an oil embargo, choking the Caribbean country from importing fuel and replacement parts required to maintain infrastructure.
Havana blames US sanctions for worsening shortages, while Washington claims the outages reflect failures of the country's state-run economic model.
Trump has even made scarcely veiled threats to take over the island.
Cuba Adds Higher-Denomination Notes to Its Currency
1 hari lalu
The Central Bank of Cuba launched new 10,000- and 20,000-peso banknotes for public circulation on Wednesday, September 16.
Cuba Plunged Into Darkness Again Amid Trump-Era Oil Restrictions
47 hari lalu
Cuba's power grid collapsed again after three nationwide blackouts in July, as fuel shortages deepen amid U.S. oil restrictions on the island.
Cuban Dissident Artist Arrives in US After 5 Years in Prison
19 Juli 2026
Prominent Cuban dissident artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, whose five-year prison sentence ended last week, arrived in the US.
Cuba Suffers Second Nationwide Blackout in Five Days
11 Juli 2026
Cuba's electricity grid has crumbled amid a six-month US fuel blockade and already-dilapidated energy infrastructure.
Cuba Approves Economic Reforms amid US Pressure
18 Juni 2026
Cuba's Communist Party has signed off on a package of free market reforms. One member called the changes a response to "economic war."
UN Urges US to Lift Sanctions on Cuba, Citing Deaths of Children
10 Juni 2026
Volker Turk mentions the application of sanctions by the United States (US) leading to the deaths of Cuban children due to a lack of medical access.
6.1-Magnitude Cuba Earthquake Shakes Florida, Damages Home
9 Juni 2026
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck offshore western Cuba on Monday, sending tremors across parts of the Gulf of Mexico and into Florida
Cuba Receives China Rice Shipment Amid US Threats, Blackouts
25 Mei 2026
Cuba took delivery of 15,000 tons of rice donated by China on Sunday when the first of several promised shipments arrived at the port of Havana.
US Indicts Former Cuban President Raul Castro
21 Mei 2026
It's the latest step by the Trump's US administration to punish Cuba's communist government and officials. Raul Castro stepped down in 2018.
Cuba Buys More Than 300 Drones from Russia and Iran, Report Says
18 Mei 2026
Cuba has also discussed plans to use drones to attack US targets such as the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, according to Axios news outlet.
