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Cuba suffers a 2d national grid crumple in a week amid oil blockade by US, Trump’s sanctions, halted Mexico oil, and surging global costs.
Cuba reported third significant energy outage this month. (Image: Canva)
Cuba’s national energy grid suffered a nationwide crumple on Saturday, plunging the island into darkness for the 2d time in a week because the communist authorities struggles to withhold electricity affords for its 10 million residents amid a U.S.-imposed oil blockade and ageing infrastructure.
“At 18:32 (2232 GMT), a full disconnection of the National Electrical Power Map occurred. We will proceed to assemble updates,” the state utility Union Electrica said on social media.
Saturday’s outage is the third major power failure this month. On 4 March, a large portion of the grid went down after a major thermoelectric generating plant malfunctioned. The entire system also collapsed on Monday for reasons that authorities have not yet explained.
Cuba has endured a series of major and nationwide blackouts in recent years, but officials say two total grid failures within a single week are highly unusual.
The crisis comes against the backdrop of tightening U.S. sanctions. President Donald Trump imposed an oil blockade on Cuba after Washington deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on 3 January, removing him from the country in an early morning raid to face drug-trafficking charges. Venezuela had been Cuba’s key ally and its most important oil supplier, providing fuel on favourable terms.
Since Maduro’s removal, the Trump administration has cut off Venezuelan oil exports to Cuba and warned other countries that they could face punitive tariffs if they sell oil to the island.
Mexico, previously one of Cuba’s most important oil suppliers alongside Venezuela, has stopped its oil shipments, while continuing to provide humanitarian aid.
Meanwhile, global oil prices have surged amid the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran. In response, Washington has temporarily eased sanctions on Russian oil products, but the measure specifically excludes transactions involving Cuba, as well as North Korea and Crimea.
Cuban authorities have long blamed the U.S. trade embargo for the country’s economic problems, including the deteriorating power grid. Washington, however, insists that Cuba’s difficulties stem from its Soviet-style command economy.
First Published:
March 22, 2026, 07:57 IST
News world Cuba Announces Second Nationwide Power Blackout In A Week, 3rd Time This Month
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