Cuba experienced its second nationwide power outage in less than a week on Saturday. The Ministry of Energy and Mines announced via X that another “total disconnection of the National Electric System has occurred,” with restoration protocols already underway.
The National Electric Union stated that the outage was caused by Unit No. 6 at a power plant in Nuevitas shutting down, leading to a domino effect across the country. This is the fourth major blackout in Cuba over the past four months.
Protests have been reported as frustration grows over prolonged blackouts and worsening living conditions. The country blames U.S. energy blockade for its problems after President Trump warned of tariffs on any country selling or providing oil to it.
Cuba has relied heavily on foreign assistance, including oil shipments from Mexico, Russia, and Venezuela. However, critical oil shipments from Venezuela were halted after the U.S. attacked the South American country in early January and arrested its president, Nicolás Maduro.
Trump has suggested Cuba’s government is on the verge of collapse, stating that top Cuban leaders should avoid the fate of Maduro. After the electric grid collapsed earlier this week, Trump told reporters he believed he’d soon have “the honor of taking Cuba.” In a post to X, President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez wrote: “In the face of the worst scenario, Cuba is accompanied by a certainty: any external aggressor will clash with an impregnable resistance.”