Cuba Suffers Widespread Blackout Amid Fuel Shortages, US Sanctions

Millions in Cuba were left without power on Friday when the country's entire electricity grid experienced a "total disconnection," triggering a nationwide outage. Power was gradually restored to some priority areas by late evening, including critical facilities in the capital, Havana.

This marks at least the sixth major blackout to affect Cuba this year. The country's aging electricity infrastructure and chronic fuel shortages have been further strained by a U.S. blockade on oil shipments. The outage began Friday afternoon due to a transmission fault combined with adverse weather conditions in central Cuba, according to the national grid operator, UNE.

Cuba relies heavily on imported fuel, and tight U.S. sanctions, particularly an oil blockade implemented this year, have worsened existing shortages. This has also led to increased scarcity of food and medicine, impacting the functionality of hospitals and leading to the closure of schools and government offices.

Residents described the situation as increasingly difficult. "Lately, it's becoming a habit," said Havana resident Frank Lorenzo. "Before it happened less frequently - once a month… just yesterday we were 24 hours without electricity, they turned it on for just an hour and it went down again." Another resident, 36-year-old schoolteacher Lidia Fernandez, lamented the cascading effects: "It's one thing after another: no water, no gas for cooking, no electricity. Honestly, I don't know how we haven't gone crazy."

The repeated blackouts have led to rare protests within Cuba, where unauthorized demonstrations are illegal and participants risk arrest.

Havana has attributed its fuel crisis to the Trump administration's policies, denouncing sanctions that are part of a broader pressure campaign against the communist-run island. Cuba's regional ally, Venezuela, which previously supplied approximately 35,000 barrels of oil daily, has had its own supplies curtailed, significantly impacting Cuba's needs. The U.S. has also threatened tariffs on countries shipping oil to Havana and has seized some shipments. Washington, however, contends that Cuba's energy crisis is a result of poor internal management and has labeled the country a "national security threat."