Cuba was hit by an island-wide blackout after the country’s national electric grid collapsed, leaving millions of people without electricity.

Cuba plunged into darkness after a nationwide power failure

The outage affected most parts of the island, including the capital Havana, as authorities struggled to restore power. Officials said the blackout occurred on Monday when the national power system became disconnected, cutting electricity supply across the country. The outage impacted a population of around 11 million people and added to the ongoing economic and energy crisis facing the island nation. Cuba has been dealing with frequent power cuts in recent months due to ageing infrastructure, fuel shortages and limited access to oil supplies. The government confirmed that investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of the latest grid failure.

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Fuel shortages and ageing grid deepen the crisis.

The blackout comes amid a severe fuel shortage that has crippled Cuba’s energy sector. President Miguel Díaz‑Canel said the country has not received oil shipments for more than three months, forcing authorities to rely on limited domestic resources such as solar power, natural gas and thermoelectric plants. However, these sources have not been enough to meet national electricity demand. Cuba produces only about 40 per cent of the petroleum it needs, and its ageing power plants frequently break down, causing widespread outages across the island.

The prolonged energy crisis has already disrupted essential services such as healthcare, transportation and food supply. Reports indicate that hospitals have delayed surgeries, and public services have been affected due to the lack of reliable electricity. The blackout also comes at a time of growing public frustration, with protests reported in some parts of the country over power cuts, food shortages and the broader economic crisis.

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Authorities are now working to restore the grid and stabilize the energy supply, but experts say the country’s electricity system will continue to face challenges unless the fuel shortage and infrastructure issues are addressed.