Cuba suffers second island-wide blackout in a week

Cuba was plunged into darkness on Friday, July 11, 2026, by its second total power outage in just five days. The state-run Unión Eléctrica de Cuba (UNE) announced a complete shutdown of the National Electric System at 4:30 PM local time, compounding an already severe energy crisis.

This latest blackout is the fourth nationwide outage in under six months and the ninth since the end of 2024. Officials attribute the recurring disruptions to a combination of factors, including voltage fluctuations and critically low electricity generation. The UNE has struggled to restore power, a process complicated by a persistent shortage of fuel, which they link directly to the U.S. oil embargo imposed on the island.

The backbone of Cuba's electricity supply relies on aging thermal power plants, some over 40 years old, which frequently break down or require maintenance. These are supplemented by diesel-powered backup generators, but imported fuel supplies are inconsistent. The country's main power plant, Antonio Guiteras in Matanzas, has been offline for repairs multiple times this year, further straining the grid.

These systemic issues translate into daily hardships for Cubans, with blackouts often exceeding 24 hours in Havana and even longer, sometimes over 70 hours, in other parts of the island. Restoring the national grid is a slow and arduous process, requiring gradual power generation and interconnection of service areas, often taking days to fully resolve.