Widespread blackouts across Cuba have intensified in recent weeks, with officials pointing to a tightening US energy blockade as the reason behind the island’s deepening electricity crisis and its devastating impact on ordinary people.
The crisis reached a peak earlier this week when the country’s national power grid collapsed, plunging nearly 10 million people into darkness for more than 29 hours. Electricity was only fully restored by Tuesday evening (March 17) after authorities brought the grid back online and restarted the country’s largest oil-fired power plant, the Antonio Guiteras power plant. However, officials warned that outages are likely to continue due to insufficient power generation.
The blackout comes amid an aggressive escalation by the United States, which has moved to choke off fuel supplies to the island. Trump has cut oil shipments and pressured other countries to halt deliveries, contributing to severe fuel shortages that have crippled Cuba’s electricity system.
Electricity generation is now far below national demand. Even before the latest grid collapse, many Cubans, including residents of Havana, were enduring blackouts lasting 16 hours or more each day.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel accused the US government of deliberately strangling the country’s economy.
“They intend to take over the country, its resources, its properties, and even the very economy; they seek to suffocate in order to force us to surrender,” Díaz-Canel said following the restoration of power.
The current crisis is widely linked to the broader US sanctions regime, which restricts Cuba’s ability to import fuel, access financing, and maintain its energy infrastructure. Recent measures have specifically targeted oil flows, including supplies from Venezuela and other partners, further tightening the squeeze on the island’s energy sector.
As a result, Cuba has received only minimal fuel shipments this year, with just two small oil vessels arriving in recent months. Tankers carrying fuel have faced delays or rerouting under pressure linked to US sanctions, worsening shortages.
For ordinary Cubans, the consequences are immediate and severe. “It affects every aspect of our lives,” said Havana resident Carlos Montes de Oca to Al Jazeera, describing how outages have disrupted access to food, water, and basic services. “All we can do is sit, wait… otherwise the stress gets to you.”
Across the island, families are struggling to preserve food without refrigeration, access clean water, and cook meals. Hospitals and clinics face growing pressure as backup systems are stretched thin, while businesses are forced to shut down during blackout hours, cutting incomes in an already constricted economy.
Despite the restoration of the national grid, officials warn that the situation remains unstable. With fuel supplies still constrained and demand exceeding generation capacity, rolling blackouts are expected to continue across the country.
The crisis has also prompted renewed diplomatic engagement. Cuba and the United States have opened talks aimed at addressing the situation, though neither side has disclosed details. US President Donald Trump has simultaneously escalated rhetoric, stating he could “do anything” with Cuba, underscoring the high political stakes surrounding the standoff.
