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TEN MILLION LEFT WITHOUT POWER AS TRUMP OIL BLOCKADE STRANGLES ECONOMY
By OPEN CHRONICLE STAFF with Agencies
HAVANA — The Republic of Cuba was plunged into total darkness on Monday as the national electrical grid suffered a catastrophic and “complete disconnection,” leaving approximately 10 million people without power. The collapse marks a dramatic escalation in a months-long energy crisis that has brought the Caribbean nation to the brink of humanitarian failure.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines confirmed the total system failure via social media on Monday afternoon, stating that “protocols for restoration” had been activated. While the ministry noted there were no immediate reports of physical failures at power plants during the collapse, experts suggest that a “perfect storm” of aging infrastructure and a severe fuel shortage triggered a cascading failure across the island’s fragile transmission lines.
Strangled by Sanctions
The blackout comes as U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies a “de facto oil blockade” aimed at forcing political change in Havana. Following the U.S. military capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January, removing Cuba’s primary source of subsidized fuel, the Trump administration has threatened stiff tariffs on any nation that provides oil to the island.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel revealed last Friday that Cuba had not received a major fuel shipment in three months, forcing the government to rely almost entirely on natural gas, solar energy, and a dwindling domestic supply.
“The empire is trying to asphyxiate us,” a state official said under condition of anonymity. “They are targeting the very lifeblood of our society to cause chaos.”
Rising Unrest and “Cacerolazos”
As night fell on a pitch-black Havana, the sounds of “cacerolazos”, the rhythmic banging of pots and pans, echoed through the streets. In the central city of Morón, reports emerged of rare violent protests where demonstrators allegedly set fire to a local Communist Party headquarters over the weekend.
For many Cubans, the total blackout is the final straw in a cycle of misery. “Our food is spoiling, our children cannot sleep in the heat, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel,” said Dayana Machin, 26, a resident of the capital. “We are getting used to living like this, but one can only endure so much.”
The outage has also crippled the nation’s healthcare system, forcing the postponement of tens of thousands of surgeries as hospitals struggle to run on emergency generators.
Trump: “I Can Do Anything I Want”
The collapse of the grid has emboldened rhetoric from Washington. Speaking to reporters on Monday afternoon, President Trump openly mused about the island’s future.
“I do believe I’ll have the honor of taking Cuba,” Trump stated, adding that he could “do anything I want” regarding the nation’s leadership. While White House officials later clarified that the President is seeking a “deal” to transition Cuba away from its one-party system, the remarks have fueled fears of further escalation.
A Fragile Restoration
By late Monday night, state media reported that power had been restored to just 5% of Havana, roughly 42,000 customers, and several key hospitals. However, authorities warned that the process would be slow and “gradual” to prevent further system collapses.
As the sun rises over a largely paralyzed nation, the question remains whether the aging Soviet-era grid can be resurrected, or if this “total disconnection” signals the beginning of a permanent darkness for the island.