Cuba was left without energy supply throughout its territory after a fall of the national system, according to the state-run Unión Eléctrica. The interruption affected millions of inhabitants and became the sixth generalized collapse registered on the island so far this year.
The state Electrical Union of Cuba (UNE) said in X that this Sunday night there was a “total disconnection” of the national electrical system, at a time when residents were on the streets to seek relief from the heat. Subsequently, the Government announced that measures were activated to restore service.
“All the protocols for the reestablishment of the Electrical System have already begun to be activated. At 10:43 p.m. tonight (02:43 GMT on Monday) a total disconnection occurred,” the Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines reported in X.
The island has suffered persistent cuts due to the aging of its plants and a United States energy embargo that stopped regular deliveries of fuel, necessary to supply the power plants.
This is the latest in a series of total power grid collapses. Just 24 hours earlier, five of the country’s 15 provinces were left without power.
Since the year began, the island of 9.4 million inhabitants has registered six widespread blackouts. Since the end of 2024, the massive cuts total 11.
The Cuban government accuses Washington of being responsible for the critical situation of the electrical system, while the United States considers that the Cuban energy crisis is due to poor internal economic management.
The seven thermoelectric plants that constitute the backbone of the Cuban national network have more than 40 years in operation and are in different degrees of deterioration.
Power outages have made normal life on the island almost impossible, as each outage also means water flow is reduced and fans stop completely. Cubans do not hesitate to admit that they are exhausted by the constant interruptions.
Washington, which has maintained an embargo on the island since 1962, imposed an oil blockade on Cuba in January by order of President Donald Trump.
The United States has only allowed the arrival of one Russian tanker with 100,000 tons of crude oil in March, which has worsened the energy crisis. However, those reserves have already been exhausted.
In addition to the oil blockade, the Trump administration has intensified sanctions against Cuban state companies, leading many foreign companies to suspend their operations in the country.
At the end of June, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez stated that talks with the United States “do not show progress.”
Havana launched a series of free market reforms to give the economy a boost.