{
  "id": 72938,
  "title": "Cuba plunged into darkness again as power grid collapses",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/cuba-plunged-into-darkness-again-as-power-grid-collapses",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-03T05:43:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3362756/cuba-plunged-darkness-again-power-grid-collapses"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Sunday, Cuba experienced another nationwide blackout as its power grid collapsed, according to a state utility. The sudden loss of electricity caught residents off guard, especially those outdoors seeking relief from the summer heat. The electricity grid has been struggling due to outdated equipment and a US energy embargo that has limited fuel deliveries to power stations. State-run UNE reported a \"total disconnection\" of the national electrical system, plunging the entire country, including Havana, into darkness. This blackout is part of a recurring pattern of power outages affecting Cuba, with just 24 hours ago, the western part of the nation also faced a similar issue. The frequent power cuts have severely impacted daily life, with water supplies dwindling and ceiling fans unable to function. Residents in the worst-hit areas have expressed their discontent by setting trash ablaze and banging pots and pans. The Ministry of Energy is reportedly working on protocols to reactivate the grid. The United States has only permitted one Russian tanker, carrying 100,000 tons of crude oil, to enter Cuba since March, but this reserve has since been depleted. Additional sanctions imposed by the Trump administration have further hindered foreign business operations in Cuba. The US has also indicted former President Raul Castro, brother of the revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, over the downing of two civilian planes thirty years ago. Despite a series of free-market reforms implemented by the Cuban government to boost the economy, talks between Havana and Washington have not yielded significant progress.",
  "summary": "Cuba's power grid failed on Sunday, causing a nationwide blackout. The state-owned national electric utility announced the collapse on social media. Residents in Havana, who had been sitting outside to escape the summer heat, groaned audibly as the lights went out.\n\nAccording to MyJoyOnline Ghana and Free Malaysia Today, this is not an isolated incident, but rather another in a series of power grid failures. In recent weeks, some blackouts have lasted over 30 hours in Havana and several days in other parts of the island. The state-run electric company, UNE, reported that five of 15 provinces had no power due to a partial collapse of the electricity grid.\n\nCuba has been experiencing rolling power cuts due to ageing equipment and a US energy embargo that halted regular fuel deliveries, making the national grid more susceptible to outages. Since late 2024, there have been 10 total power outages, and since the start of 2026, five nationwide blackouts have occurred, with three of them happening in July within a 10-day period, as per Free Malaysia Today.",
  "key_points": [
    "Cuba suffers another nationwide blackout, plunging the entire country into darkness.",
    "Power grid collapse attributed to outdated equipment and US energy embargo.",
    "Frequent power cuts impact daily life, with water supplies dwindling."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Five of Cuba’s 15 provinces without power as grid fails again",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/02/five-of-cubas-15-provinces-without-power-as-grid-fails-again",
        "published": "2026-08-02T03:36:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Cuba’s national electricity grid collapses on Sunday",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/cubas-national-electricity-grid-collapses-on-sunday",
        "published": "2026-08-03T02:05:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Grid failure plunges Cuba into nationwide blackout",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/grid-failure-plunges-cuba-into-nationwide-blackout",
        "published": "2026-08-03T04:35:39.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}