Cuba Faces Nationwide Blackout as Electrical Grid Collapses Again

General15 sourcesSep 19, 2026

Leans leftFactual rigor 50/100

The Story

Cuba was plunged into its seventh massive blackout of the year on Friday, September 18, 2026, as the electrical grid collapsed again, leaving millions without power.

The country's entire electricity grid suffered total disconnection, triggering a nationwide outage. The Ministry of Energy and Mines announced the islandwide power outage on its official X account. By dusk, power had been restored to 5% of users in Havana, which has about 862,000 customers. Systems serving hospitals and other emergency facilities were being reactivated, and small power-distribution micro-islands were established in Camagüey, Pinar del Río, and Granma provinces.

The outage began just before 2 p.m. local time on Friday due to a failure in transmission lines in the western part of the country, causing the system to collapse as far as Matanzas province, with the eastern section subsequently disconnected. The official newspaper Granma reported unstable weather conditions further aggravated the grid's situation. Felix Estrada, an official with Cuba's National Electrical Union (UNE), stated protocols were activated for gradual restoration.

This marks at least the sixth partial or total blackout this year. Power grid collapses have become more common over the past two years due to a severe economic crisis. The situation has worsened since January, when the United States imposed a de facto energy blockade on the island under President Trump, aimed at forcing a change in Cuba's political system.

Cuba relies heavily on fuel imports, and US sanctions have exacerbated shortages. Residents described hardship, with Mercedes Rodriguez stating, "No one can stand these constant blackouts. There isn't enough food, there's no water, there's no electricity." The timeline for full power restoration remains unknown.

What they agree on

Cuba experienced a nationwide electrical grid collapse on Friday, September 18, 2026, resulting in millions of people losing power.
This event marks at least the sixth or seventh major blackout to hit the island this year.
The outage was triggered by a failure in transmission lines, with some sources also citing unstable weather conditions as an aggravating factor.
The power grid's instability and frequent blackouts have worsened since January, when the United States imposed an energy blockade on Cuba.
Cuban authorities activated protocols for gradual power restoration, with some priority areas like hospitals in Havana seeing service return by late evening.

Where they split

Some sources, such as France 24 and Jamaica Observer, state this is Cuba's seventh massive blackout of the year, while others, like CBS News and The Print, report it as at least the sixth. Havana Times refers to it as the eighth total blackout this year.
Some articles, including those from CBS News and Deutsche Welle, explicitly attribute the US energy blockade to President Trump and state its aim is to force a change in Cuba's political system. Other sources, like France 24 and BBC News, refer to it more generally as a US blockade or restrictions without naming the president or specifying the political aim.
RedState includes a security alert from the U.S. Embassy in Havana, detailing the time of the power failure and noting reports of cellphone and internet outages. Most other sources do not include this specific embassy communication.
Deutsche Welle and The Straits Times mention United Nations human rights experts condemning the US oil blockade and warning that Cuba risks becoming a "silent Gaza." Other articles do not include this specific international condemnation.