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Cuba's electricity recovery slow amid fuel shortages after massive blackout

From Confidencial · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Cuba is struggling to restore electricity after a massive blackout on Friday, the second in a week, with fuel shortages hindering recovery efforts.
  • State company Unión Eléctrica reported only 12.9% of Havana's customers had power restored, prioritizing essential services like hospitals and water.
  • This is the fourth widespread outage in six months and the ninth since late 2024, exacerbating Cuba's severe economic crisis and daily power cuts.

Cuba was working on Saturday, July 11, 2026, to restore power after a massive blackout on Friday, the second in just a few days. Fuel shortages, caused by Washington's oil blockade, are making the recovery slow and complex.

Restoration is proceeding gradually as conditions permit.

— Unión EléctricaThe state company's statement on the pace of electricity restoration.

In Havana, the capital city of 1.7 million people, the state-owned Unión Eléctrica (UNE) reported that electricity had only been restored to 12.9% of its customers. The company prioritized circuits serving hospitals, water supply facilities, and other vital centers. "Restoration is proceeding gradually as conditions permit," the company stated.

UNE executive Félix Estrada told Cuban television that a "partial system failure" early Friday forced the company to restart recovery work. This marks the fourth widespread outage on the island under the communist regime in six months and the ninth since late 2024. The "total disconnection" of the system on Friday due to a failure left the island's 9.6 million inhabitants without service, just two days after UNE had managed to restore the electrical system following another massive blackout on Monday.

a partial system failure

— Félix EstradaUNE executive explaining the cause of the renewed blackout.

"The new failure of the National Electric System (SEN), with very few days in between, adds tension to the recovery," President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on X on Saturday. He emphasized that the process is becoming "very complex, under the genocidal oil blockade" imposed by Washington on the island since January. UNE authorities maintain that fuel scarcity not only makes the system more vulnerable but also slows recovery efforts, as it prevents the use of backup generators that typically consume imported diesel. Since January, the Donald Trump administration has only allowed the arrival of one Russian tanker with 100,000 tons of crude oil.

The new failure of the National Electric System (SEN), with very few days in between, adds tension to the recovery.

— Miguel Díaz-CanelPresident of Cuba commenting on the impact of the repeated blackouts.

In Cuba, mired in a severe economic crisis, daily blackouts exceed 30 consecutive hours in Havana and last for several days in some provinces, leading to recurrent protests with pot-banging across the island.

very complex, under the genocidal oil blockade

— Miguel Díaz-CanelPresident of Cuba describing the challenges facing the country's energy sector.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Confidencial in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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