Cuba endures record power blackouts as energy crisis deepens
Cuba is experiencing its worst electricity crisis in years. The national grid can supply only about 940 MW while demand peaks at 3,250 MW, leaving a shortfall of roughly 2,300 MW and affecting up to 72 % of the country’s peak load. The sixth total collapse of the Sistema Electroenergético Nacional occurred on 2 August 2026, following three other nationwide outages in July.
The shortage stems from an aging, under‑invested grid, a severe fuel deficit and a U.S. oil blockade imposed in January 2024 that halted imports of diesel and fuel oil. Former President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba, further tightening supplies. The crisis forces residents to plan daily life around brief 20‑minute bursts of electricity, leading to water shortages, food spoilage, medicine shortages and a surge in mental‑health problems, with surveys reporting severe depression, anxiety and stress among large shares of the population. Tourism has collapsed, leaving about 25,000 hospitality jobs vacant and causing frequent flight cancellations.
Despite the turmoil, Cuba’s informal currency market showed stability on 7 August 2026, with the US dollar at 673 Cuban pesos and the euro at 783 pesos. Cultural life continues with the “Arte Fiel” exhibition marking Fidel Castro’s centennial, underscoring the stark contrast between state‑sponsored events and the population’s hardship.
Entities: Cuba · Cuban government · Donald Trump · Leidis Rodríguez · Republic of Cuba · United States · Unión Eléctrica (UNE) · Yaimara Matos
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 6 SOURCES] Electricity returns only in short bursts lasting about 20 minutes. (multiple articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Tourism companies have withdrawn, leaving about 25,000 hospitality jobs vacant. (multiple articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a tariff on goods from countries that sell oil to Cuba. (multiple articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Flights to Cuba are regularly cancelled. (multiple articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Power outages have worsened over the past five years due to a crumbling grid, U.S. sanctions, and failed reforms. (multiple articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Cuba has experienced days‑long electricity blackouts. (multiple articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] The blackouts are fueled by an oil blockade imposed by the Trump administration in January. (multiple articles)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Medicine shortages have worsened and food rots in fridges without power. (multiple articles)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Cuba's electricity grid can supply only about 940 MW while peak demand is 3,250 MW, creating a shortfall of roughly 2,300 MW and affecting up to 72 % of the country's peak load. (Cuba's national electricity authority (UNE) forecast for 7 August 2026.)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Tourism companies have withdrawn, leaving about 25,000 hospitality jobs vacant in Cuba. (Multiple news reports on the impact of blackouts.)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The United States imposed an oil blockade on Cuba in January 2024, halting imports of diesel and fuel oil. (Multiple articles referencing U.S. policy.)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Medicine shortages and food spoilage have worsened because of prolonged power outages. (AP coverage of the crisis.)