Millions across Cuba faced a familiar, grim reality on Friday. The island nation plunged into darkness, its entire electricity grid suffering a “total disconnection,” according to the energy ministry. It marks at least the sixth significant outage this year, highlighting a relentless struggle for basic services.
The grid operator, UNE, confirmed the outage began just before 14:00 local time (18:00 GMT). A transmission fault combined with poor weather in central Cuba triggered the collapse. By late Friday, some priority areas, including Havana hospitals and water pumping stations, saw power restored, UNE reported.
This recurring crisis stems from Cuba’s ageing electricity infrastructure and chronic fuel shortages. These long-standing issues are exacerbated by a US oil shipment blockade, in place since January. Washington’s sanctions campaign against the communist-run nation continues to tighten.
Ordinary Cubans voice their despair. “Lately, it’s becoming a habit,” Havana resident Frank Lorenzo told Reuters on Friday, noting constant interruptions. Schoolteacher Lidia Fernandez, 36, lamented to AFP: “No water, no gas for cooking, no electricity. Honestly, I don’t know how we haven’t gone crazy.”
The scarcity extends beyond power, affecting food and medicine supplies. Hospitals struggle, while schools and government offices close their doors. Such widespread hardship has even prompted rare protests across Cuba, where unauthorised demonstrations typically lead to imprisonment.
Havana blames the Trump administration’s “wider pressure campaign” for its fuel crisis, including a new round of August sanctions. Washington, conversely, attributes Cuba’s energy woes to poor internal management. US President Donald Trump has even threatened a “friendly takeover” of the island, a prospect reported in March this year.
Cuba previously relied on Venezuela for around 35,000 barrels of oil daily, roughly half its needs. However, this supply dwindled after the US seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s assets in January. President Trump has since threatened tariffs on other countries shipping oil to Havana, with several shipments already seized.
National load dispatch director Felix Estrada confirmed “gradual restoration” protocols were activated, continuing into Saturday. Yet, for many, the prospect of light remains distant. Francisco Rodriguez, 78, feared no power “for several days” after 28 hours without. The island’s daily struggle against systemic failure and external pressure shows no immediate end.
