Cuba faces another nationwide blackout amid US fuel blockade

Cuba experienced a total collapse of its power grid on Friday, resulting in another nationwide blackout and leaving millions without electricity. The island nation is grappling with an ongoing US fuel blockade, which has exacerbated the situation. State-run utility UNE cited a failure in transmission lines and unstable weather as the culprits behind the blackout, now the 7th this year and the 12th since late 2024.

Despite the numerous challenges, the situation continues to deteriorate, with fuel shortages and deteriorating infrastructure taking their toll.

Cubans have grown increasingly frustrated with the constant power cuts, with some lasting over 30 hours and others exceeding 60 hours. In Havana, the disruption has affected water supplies, cooking gas, telecommunications, and transportation. The economic crisis in Cuba has worsened, with an independent study revealing that 66% of the population now lives in poverty, up from 45% in mid-2025. Rising food prices are a significant contributing factor.

Mercedes Rodriguez, a 60-year-old resident, expressed the growing despair among the population. "No one can stand these constant blackouts. There isn't enough food, there's no water, there's no electricity — you have no idea. The country is in such a sad state, and there are no words for what we're going through." The US has imposed sanctions on Cuba, claiming that the outages reflect failures of the country's state-run economic model.

However, Cuba attributes the worsening shortages to the US sanctions, while the US maintains that the outages are a result of the country's economic model. The situation has even led to threats from the US to take over the island.