Cuba's national power grid collapses again, plunging entire island into darkness

Cuba's national electricity grid collapsed late on August 2, 2026, plunging the island of 10 million people, including Havana, into total darkness. The failure follows three major blackouts in July 2026 and a partial western grid collapse on August 1, 2026. The crisis is driven by aging thermoelectric plants and severe fuel shortages. These shortages worsened after United States President Donald Trump imposed an oil blockade following the January 3, 2026, ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which halted imports from Venezuela and Mexico.

Cuba nationwide power grid collapse

• ▪Cuba's national electricity grid suffered a total disconnection late on August 2, 2026, causing a nationwide blackout.
• ▪The August 2, 2026, grid failure followed three nationwide blackouts in Cuba during July 2026, including a major collapse on July 14, 2026.
• ▪The nationwide blackout on August 2, 2026, left approximately 10 million people across Cuba, including the capital city of Havana, in darkness.
• ▪A partial collapse of Cuba's National Electric System left western provinces without electricity on August 1, 2026, due to transmission line trips.

US oil embargo on Cuba

• ▪United States President Donald Trump imposed an oil blockade on Cuba following Washington's January 3, 2026, ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
• ▪The United States authorized only one Russian tanker carrying 100,000 tons of crude oil to arrive in Cuba in March 2026, and those reserves have been exhausted.

Fuel supply disruption

• ▪Venezuela had long served as Cuba's primary oil supplier before the United States oil blockade disrupted shipments.
• ▪Mexico halted its oil exports to Cuba following increased diplomatic and economic pressure from the United States government.

Aging power infrastructure

• ▪Cuba's ongoing energy crisis has disrupted essential public services, including water supplies, ceiling fans, transport, communications, and medical services.
• ▪Cuba's electricity system relies on aging thermoelectric plants, some over 30 years old, which suffer from repeated breakdowns and limited maintenance.

Trump administration sanctions

• ▪The Trump administration ramped up sanctions against Cuban state-owned businesses, prompting multiple foreign firms to suspend their operations in Cuba.
• ▪The United States government redesignated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism in 2025, shortly after former President Joe Biden attempted to remove it from the list.

US pressure campaign

• ▪Cuba has authorized its first foreign-backed fuel import venture and allowed nearly 200 domestic businesses to participate in wholesale fuel distribution.
• ▪The United States indicted former Cuban President Raul Castro over the downing of two civilian planes that occurred three decades ago.