Trending Now - Cuba Endures Third Major Blackout This Month, Island in Darkness
WHO:
More than 10 million people in Cuba are affected by the power cuts.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel
Cuban Electric Union
WHAT:
The blackout on March 21st, 2026, was caused by an unexpected failure of a generating unit at the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant in Camagüey province.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines reported that a "cascading effect occurred in the machines that were online" following the failure.
The Cuban Electric Union activated "micro-islands" of generating units to provide power to vital centers, hospitals, and water systems during the blackout.
The last nationwide blackout occurred on March 16th, 2026, and the blackout on March 21st was the second in the past week.
The blackout on March 21st, 2026, was the third power grid collapse in March 2026.
The state-owned Cuban Electric Union reported a total blackout across the island without providing a cause for the outage.
The blackouts have disrupted the population's lives, affecting work hours, cooking, and food preservation.
Cuba's power grid suffered a total blackout on March 21st, 2026, marking the second major blackout in one week.
The blackout on March 21st was the third power grid collapse in March 2026.
Power outages have become common in Cuba over the last two years, with daily blackouts lasting up to 12 hours due to fuel shortages.
WHERE:
Cuba
WHEN:
The last nationwide blackout occurred on March 16th, 2026.
The blackout on March 21st, 2026, was the second in the past week.
WHY:
The removal of Venezuela’s leader has halted critical petroleum shipments to Cuba, contributing to the energy crisis.
Trump has suggested that Cuba’s government is on the verge of collapse and stated he believed he’d soon have “the honor of taking Cuba.”
The Trump administration warned in January 2026 of tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba, contributing to the energy crisis.
The blackouts are attributed to a decaying infrastructure and a U.S.-imposed oil blockade.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel stated that Cuba has not received oil from foreign suppliers for three months.
Cuba produces only 40% of the fuel it needs to power its economy.
The Trump administration has imposed sanctions demanding Cuba release political prisoners and move toward political and economic liberalization.
HOW:
Authorities are working to restore power following the blackout.
The Cuban government is working to restore power following the blackout.
(UPDATED March 22, 2026 11:03 UTC)
A blackout occurred in Cuba on March 21, 2026, due to an unexpected failure at the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant, causing a cascading effect among the online machines. In response, the Cuban Electric Union activated micro-islands of generating units to ensure power for vital centers, hospitals, and water systems, marking the second nationwide blackout in just a week. This energy crisis has been exacerbated by the removal of Venezuela’s leader, which has halted critical petroleum shipments to Cuba, and President Trump has suggested that the Cuban government is on the verge of collapse.
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(UPDATED March 22, 2026 09:04 UTC)
Today, more than 10 million people in Cuba are grappling with widespread power cuts after a total blackout hit the island on March 21, marking the third power grid collapse this month. The state-owned Cuban Electric Union has reported the outage but has not disclosed the cause, leaving many to face disruptions in their daily lives, including work hours and food preservation. Meanwhile, authorities are actively working to restore power, a situation exacerbated by the Trump administration's warning in January about potential tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba.
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(UPDATED March 22, 2026 03:50 UTC)
Cuba experienced a total blackout on March 21, marking the second major power outage in just one week and the third blackout this month. President Miguel Díaz-Canel reported that the country has not received oil from foreign suppliers for three months, which has contributed to the ongoing crisis, as Cuba only produces 40 percent of the fuel it needs. The government is currently working to restore power as daily blackouts lasting up to 12 hours have become increasingly common due to a decaying infrastructure and a U.S.-imposed oil blockade.