Cuba faces severe blackouts amid energy crisis

Cuba is grappling with severe electricity shortages, with residents facing prolonged blackouts that are impacting daily life across the island. On June 10, 2026, the country's 9.7 million inhabitants were expected to endure an average of two hours of electricity, with a projected nationwide outage affecting 68% of the population.

The Cuban government has acknowledged the critical state of its National Electroenergetic System (SEN). In Havana, blackouts have reportedly lasted up to 42 hours, with some neighborhoods experiencing continuous power loss exceeding 25 hours. This energy crisis has intensified since January, exacerbated by U.S. oil sanctions, which have significantly hampered the island's economy.

The persistent power outages have fueled social discontent, particularly in the capital. Daily peaceful protests, street fires, and widespread 'cacerolazos', pot-banging demonstrations, have become common occurrences.

The state-run Unión Eléctrica (UNE) anticipates a generation capacity of 990 megawatts (MW) during peak demand hours, against a maximum demand of 3,000 MW. This significant deficit of 2,010 MW is expected to result in estimated power disruptions reaching 2,040 MW.

The crisis stems from two main factors: a structurally obsolete energy system and the U.S. oil blockade. Cuba's thermoelectric power plants, built mostly in the 1960s and 70s and responsible for 40% of the energy mix, suffer frequent breakdowns due to chronic underinvestment. Currently, ten of the country's sixteen generation units are offline. Another 40% of the energy mix relies on imported diesel and fuel oil, which have been unavailable since January due to U.S. pressure. The remaining 20% comes from gas and renewable sources. Cuba requires approximately 100,000 barrels of oil daily but produces only 40,000 barrels domestically.