Cuba Plunged into Darkness Again: National Power Grid Collapses

Cuba has been left without electricity for approximately 10 million people due to the collapse of its national power grid. The capital city of Havana has begun to receive electricity services gradually. The National Electricity Union announced that priority was given to critical services such as hospitals and food production facilities. However, officials stated that only 1% of Havana's electricity needs were met. No official explanation has been given for the collapse of the power grid. Cuba has been struggling with prolonged power outages due to its aging electricity infrastructure, fuel shortages, and insufficient energy production. The country's fuel crisis has been exacerbated by the reduction in oil supply due to US sanctions. As nearly two-thirds of the population was already without electricity, the complete collapse of the national grid did not significantly impact daily life. Ariel Sotelo, a 57-year-old living in Havana, said, 'Just look at my face. We are trying to cope, but it's really not easy.' Monday's outage was the eighth major power outage in the country since October 2025 and the third this year. The US pressure on Venezuela to stop fuel shipments to Cuba and on Mexico to halt oil exports has contributed to the crisis.