Five Cuban provinces without power as grid fails again amid economic crisis

Havana and other western regions of Cuba were plunged into darkness on Saturday following another failure of the nation's aging electricity grid. The state-run electric company, UNE, announced a "partial collapse" of the grid at 6:07 pm, resulting in power outages across five of the country's 15 provinces.

Cuba is currently grappling with its most severe economic crisis in decades, a situation worsened by U.S. sanctions. The Trump administration's "fuel blockade" imposed in January 2026 has severely restricted fuel imports, making it difficult to operate emergency generators and increasing the grid's susceptibility to outages. This latest blackout is the fifth nationwide failure since the beginning of 2026, with three occurring within a mere 10-day period in July, and ten total outages since late 2024.

Residents are expressing growing weariness with the constant disruptions. "We live practically like fireflies here -- in the dark all the time. You never know when you'll have power; it's our sad reality," said Julian Gonzalez, a 72-year-old carpenter in Havana. Many residents, like Gonzalez, venture out to public spaces to escape the oppressive heat and frustration of their homes during the blackouts.

Blame for the crisis is divided. Havana points to Washington's "punitive measures" as the primary cause of the grid's dire state, while the U.S. attributes the problems to Cuba's government and its economic mismanagement. The national grid's backbone consists of seven thermal power plants, all over 40 years old and in various states of disrepair. Relations between the U.S. and Cuba remain tense, further complicated by U.S. actions against allies like Venezuela and ongoing sanctions against Cuban state-owned businesses, which have deterred foreign investment. Despite these pressures, Cuba has begun implementing some free-market reforms.

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We live practically like fireflies here -- in the dark all the time. You never know when you'll have power; it's our sad reality.