A nationwide blackout has plunged Cuba into darkness for at least the sixth time this year, as the island struggles with an aging electricity network, severe fuel shortages and mounting economic pressure from the United States.
By Open Chronicle with agencies | September 19, 2026
Cuba suffered another nationwide power outage on Friday, leaving millions of people without electricity as the country’s worsening energy crisis continued to disrupt daily life, public services and economic activity.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines announced the collapse of the national electricity system on its official X account, confirming that emergency procedures had been activated to restore power across the island.
The latest failure marks at least the sixth nationwide blackout this year, highlighting the increasingly fragile condition of Cuba’s electricity infrastructure and the difficulties authorities face in maintaining a reliable energy supply.
The outage comes amid severe fuel shortages that have intensified since January, when the administration of US President Donald Trump introduced additional restrictions targeting oil supplies to Cuba.
For residents already accustomed to prolonged electricity cuts, the latest collapse has added to growing frustration over deteriorating living conditions.
Mercedes Rodriguez, a 60-year-old worker in Havana, told the Associated Press that repeated blackouts had become unbearable, with shortages of food, water and electricity making everyday life increasingly difficult.
A nationwide failure leaves millions in darkness
According to Cuban authorities, the latest disruption began with a failure affecting transmission lines in the western part of the country.
The malfunction caused the electricity system to collapse across western Cuba, extending as far as Matanzas province, before the eastern section of the national grid was also disconnected.
Cuba’s official newspaper Granma reported that unstable weather conditions further complicated the situation.
Emergency teams began working to restore electricity, prioritizing essential infrastructure and attempting to reconnect different sections of the national network.
By Friday evening, power had been restored to approximately 5% of electricity customers in Havana, a city with around 862,000 registered users.
Authorities also began establishing small, independently operating electricity networks in the provinces of Camagüey, Pinar del Río and Granma.
These temporary systems were intended to provide limited electricity while engineers worked to stabilize the national grid.
Hospitals and other emergency facilities were among the first locations targeted for reconnection.
However, authorities provided no immediate timetable for the full restoration of electricity across the island.
Fuel shortages deepen Cuba’s energy crisis
Cuba’s electricity system has experienced increasingly frequent failures over the past two years, reflecting a combination of aging infrastructure, insufficient maintenance, fuel shortages and the country’s prolonged economic crisis.
The situation has deteriorated further since January, when Washington introduced additional restrictions on energy supplies to the island.
President Trump signed an executive order authorizing tariffs against countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, increasing pressure on governments and companies involved in supplying fuel to the country.
The restrictions have complicated Cuba’s ability to obtain the petroleum products required to operate its thermoelectric power stations.
According to the information reported by CBS News, only one tanker carrying fuel had reached Cuba since the new restrictions were introduced, with a Russian vessel delivering supplies in March.
Fuel shortages have also affected the country’s ability to operate emergency generators and maintain electricity production during periods of high demand.
Many Cuban power plants rely on equipment that has been in operation for decades, while shortages of replacement parts have made maintenance and repairs increasingly difficult.
The combination of limited fuel supplies and deteriorating infrastructure has left the national electricity network particularly vulnerable to technical failures.
Blackouts disrupt daily life and essential services
The consequences of Cuba’s energy crisis extend far beyond the loss of household electricity.
Repeated blackouts have disrupted public transportation, reduced working hours, affected commercial activity and complicated the delivery of essential services.
Water supplies are particularly vulnerable because pumping and distribution systems depend on electricity.
Extended outages also prevent households from refrigerating food, operating cooking equipment and maintaining reliable internet and telephone connections.
Hospitals and healthcare facilities face additional pressure as they attempt to maintain essential services using backup electricity systems.
The disruption has also affected aviation, with fuel shortages contributing to flight cancellations and operational difficulties for airlines serving the island.
Even when the national electricity grid is functioning, residents in some areas regularly experience power cuts lasting more than 30 consecutive hours.
Cuba previously suffered nationwide blackouts in March, July and early August, alongside numerous regional outages.
The repeated failures have left residents uncertain about when electricity will return and how long restored service will last.
Washington’s energy restrictions increase pressure on Havana
The latest blackout comes amid heightened tensions between Cuba and the United States.
The Trump administration has intensified economic pressure on Havana while calling for political and economic changes on the island.
Cuban officials argue that Washington’s restrictions on fuel supplies have worsened the humanitarian consequences of the country’s energy crisis.
Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Cuba’s ambassador to the United Nations, described the impact of the restrictions as a form of collective punishment during an interview with CBS News in August.
The Cuban government maintains that the restrictions undermine its ability to provide electricity, transportation and other essential services to the population.
Washington, meanwhile, has presented its pressure campaign as part of a broader effort to encourage political and economic reforms in Cuba.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has emphasized that the United States prefers a diplomatic process leading to a new government willing to implement economic reforms.
However, efforts to reach a negotiated political transition have made little progress.
US military options have also been examined
The energy crisis is unfolding against a broader backdrop of uncertainty surrounding Washington’s policy toward Cuba.
CBS News previously reported that the Trump administration had examined several possible military options involving the island, including an operation that could involve US Army forces.
Officials familiar with those discussions stressed that military planning did not mean President Trump or the Pentagon had decided to launch an operation.
Trump has also referred to the US intervention in Venezuela and the removal of former President Nicolás Maduro as a possible model for political change in Cuba.
Nevertheless, the administration has continued to emphasize diplomatic engagement as its preferred approach to securing a political transition.
The prospect of further confrontation has added to uncertainty surrounding Cuba’s economic and political future.
An electricity crisis with no immediate solution
For Cuba’s population, the immediate concern remains the restoration of electricity and the availability of essential services.
The repeated collapse of the national grid has exposed the scale of the country’s infrastructure problems, while restrictions on fuel imports have further complicated efforts to stabilize electricity production.
Restoring reliable power will require sufficient fuel supplies, repairs to aging facilities and investment in the country’s electricity generation and transmission systems.
In the meantime, millions of Cubans continue to face prolonged blackouts, disrupted transportation and growing difficulties obtaining basic necessities.
The latest nationwide outage illustrates how Cuba’s economic crisis, deteriorating infrastructure and confrontation with Washington have combined to create an increasingly difficult situation for the island’s population.
As emergency crews work to restore the electricity network, the question for many residents is not simply when the lights will return, but how long they will remain on.