Cuba Faces Nationwide Blackout Amid Energy Crisis | CNN Español

Cuba is experiencing a nationwide power outage, the second such event in less than a week, the Ministry of Energy and Mines (Minem) announced Saturday. “A total disconnection of the National Electric System has occurred,” the ministry stated on X, adding that protocols for restoration were being implemented.

The blackout comes after Cuba suffered a nationwide grid collapse on March 16th, following the curtailment of Venezuelan oil shipments earlier this year, according to CNN Español reporting. The Unión Eléctrica de Cuba, affiliated with Minem, had projected a 1.740 megawatt (MW) deficit for peak demand Saturday evening, as reported in a morning post on X.

The Unión Eléctrica attributed the current disconnection to a failure in Unit 6 of the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant, triggering a “cascade effect” on other operating machines, according to a subsequent post on X. Restoration protocols are being activated, prioritizing critical infrastructure such as hospitals and water supply centers.

The Cuban government has acknowledged that power outages, increasingly frequent in recent years, have worsened in early 2026 due to fuel shortages impacting power plant operations. This scarcity extends beyond electricity generation, affecting public services and food transportation and has reportedly sparked some protests in Havana and other cities.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel has publicly expressed understanding of the public’s frustration, while asserting that authorities are working to identify solutions. Simultaneously, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez stated Saturday that Cuba remains open to a “serious and respectful dialogue” with the United States, which has maintained an economic embargo and other pressures on the island since the 1960s.

According to reports from Telesur, as of March 17th, authorities were reporting progress in restoring the National Electroenergetic System (SEN), with connections re-established from Pinar del Río to Holguín. The Ministry of Energy and Mines has not issued a timeline for full restoration as of this report.