Updated March 17, 2026 — Cuban officials reported a nationwide blackout Monday that left the country’s roughly 11 million people without power as the island’s energy and economic crises deepen. The Ministry of Energy and Mines said on X that the electrical system suffered a “complete disconnection” and that investigators were working to determine the cause. It later reported that some “microsystems” had begun operating in various territories but gave no further details.
This was the third major outage in about four months. State media said the cause remained unknown as of Monday night. The Cuban government has blamed an alleged U.S. energy blockade, citing a January warning from former President Donald Trump about tariffs on countries that provide oil to Cuba.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel has said the island has not received oil shipments in more than three months and is relying on solar energy, natural gas and thermoelectric plants. Shortages of fuel and power have forced the postponement of tens of thousands of surgeries and disrupted daily life. A large outage a week earlier left millions in the western part of the island without electricity; Cuba also suffered a major blackout in western provinces in 2025.
Havana and other cities have seen growing public frustration. Videos shared on social media in recent days showed residents banging pots and pans in a traditional cacerolazo protest against prolonged blackouts, food shortages and worsening living conditions. Similar power-related demonstrations occurred in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
The government says critical shipments from Venezuela were halted after what it characterized as U.S. actions in Venezuela earlier this year that led to the detention of then‑president Nicolás Maduro. Cuba also receives fuel and assistance from other partners such as Mexico and Russia. Domestic petroleum production covers only about 40% of the island’s needs, and officials say local output has not been enough as the electric grid deteriorates.
William LeoGrande, a longtime Cuba analyst at American University, said much of the island’s electrical infrastructure is “way past its normal useful life” and has not been properly maintained. “The technicians working on the grid are magicians to keep it running at all given the shape that it’s in,” he said. LeoGrande added that sharply reducing consumption and expanding renewables might help Cuba get by without regular oil shipments, but would likely mean prolonged hardship for the population and increase the risk of economic collapse, social unrest and migration.
Residents voiced growing despair. “What little we have to eat spoils,” said Tomás David Velázquez Felipe, 61, of Havana. “Our people are too old to keep suffering.” On Friday, Díaz-Canel confirmed Cuba was holding talks with the U.S. government as the crisis intensifies. A U.S. official told CBS News earlier this year that the Trump administration does not seek to trigger the collapse of the Cuban government but hopes to negotiate a transition away from its authoritarian communist system.