Millions without power as Cuba hit by latest major blackout

On Friday, millions of Cubans were left without electricity as the nation endured another major blackout. The entire electrical grid experienced a complete disconnection, leading to a nationwide outage, according to Cuba's energy ministry. Power was gradually restored to certain areas, including those close to hospitals and water pumping stations in the capital Havana, as reported by the grid operator UNE.

This is at least the sixth blackout to hit Cuba this year, with the country's aging electricity infrastructure and fuel shortages facing additional strain due to a U.S. blockade on oil shipments to the communist-run nation.

The blackout began around 14:00 local time, triggered by a transmission fault and poor weather conditions in central Cuba, according to UNE. The restoration process was initiated, with ongoing efforts on Saturday. Cuba's heavy reliance on fuel imports, coupled with U.S. sanctions and an oil blockade since the beginning of the year, has exacerbated existing shortages. The scarcity of food and medicine has resulted in hospitals struggling to function normally and schools and government offices being forced to close.

Havana resident Frank Lorenzo expressed frustration, stating, "Lately, it's becoming a habit. 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." Schoolteacher Lidia Fernandez added, "Honestly, I don’t know how we haven’t gone crazy." Francisco Rodriguez, 78, reported that his home had been without power for 28 hours on Friday and feared it would remain dark "for several days."

The repeated blackouts have sparked rare protests in Cuba, where unauthorized demonstrations are illegal and those who defy the ban risk imprisonment. Havana attributes its fuel crisis to the Trump administration and denounces all sanctions, including a new round announced in August, part of a broader pressure campaign against the Caribbean island's leadership.

Cuba's regional ally, Venezuela, had been providing around 35,000 barrels of oil daily, roughly half of Cuba's oil requirements, until Venezuela's supplies were cut off following the U.S. seizure of its President Nicolás Maduro in January. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs on countries shipping oil to Havana, with several such shipments already seized by the U.S. Meanwhile, Washington attributes Cuba's energy crisis to poor internal management and accuses the nation of posing a "national security threat," even discussing a "friendly takeover" in March.