Cuba’s national electricity grid suffered a total collapse on Monday, leaving the entire island of approximately 10 million people without power, according to the state-run Unión Eléctrica (UNE). The utility announced a “total disconnection of the National Electric Power System” at midday local time and said it was investigating the causes. The Ministry of Energy and Mines confirmed it had activated emergency protocols to restore service, and by late afternoon microsystems were supplying electricity to some hospitals, food-production centres and other vital services, though only 1 per cent of demand in the capital, Havana, was being met.

This is the third nationwide blackout in 2026 and the eighth since October 2025. Before the grid collapsed, nearly two-thirds of the country was already without power due to scheduled outages that in parts of Havana have exceeded 30 consecutive hours and in rural areas have stretched beyond 70 hours. Public transport has been largely suspended, and medical sources report that tens of thousands of surgeries have been cancelled. Residents describe the conditions as an “agony”, with many unable to work or sleep in the Caribbean summer heat.

The immediate trigger for Monday’s failure remains unknown. The country’s electricity generation depends on seven ageing thermoelectric plants, some more than 40 years old, which suffer frequent breakdowns and are often offline for maintenance. The largest, Antonio Guiteras, was shut down for repairs at the time of the collapse. Cuban authorities attribute the deepening crisis to a US oil blockade imposed in January, which they say has cut off fuel supplies and prevented the import of diesel needed for backup generators. President Miguel Díaz-Canel described the measure as a “genocidal energy blockade” and praised electrical workers as “heroic”. Washington, for its part, has threatened tariffs on any nation supplying oil to the island and argues that sanctions are necessary to press for political and economic reforms.

International perspectives diverge. The United Nations has warned that the tightening of US sanctions risks a humanitarian emergency, citing impacts on food, health and water. In Havana, the foreign minister accused the US of attempting to block a UN General Assembly debate on the blockade. Meanwhile, Cuba has accelerated the installation of solar parks with Chinese assistance; 56 photovoltaic parks now generate about 10 per cent of the country’s electricity, up from 3 per cent in late 2024, with a target of 15 per cent by the end of the year. The UNE said restoration work was continuing, but no timeline has been given for a full return of power.