Cuba's Energy Crisis Deepens Health Crisis as Blackouts Persist Under U.S. Sanctions
A prolonged energy crisis has left Cuba with daily power outages of more than 20 hours in Havana and over 48 hours in other regions, affecting up to ten million residents after the national grid collapsed on July 6, 2026. The country's electricity system depends on seven aging Soviet‑era thermal plants that suffer chronic under‑investment and lack of fuel imports.
U.S. sanctions have intensified the situation: Executive Order 14380, signed by President Donald Trump, targeted oil supplies to Cuba and later sanctioned state oil firm CUPET, while the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and Mexico’s suspension of oil shipments further reduced fuel availability.
A 2025 study of 415 Cuban adults conducted by psychologists Yunier Broche‑Pérez and Zoylen Fernández‑Fleites found extremely severe mental‑health symptoms, with 55.4% reporting depression, 66% anxiety and 65.8% stress, highlighting the public‑health emergency caused by the unpredictable blackouts.
Entities: Cuba · Donald Trump · United States · Yunier Broche-Pérez · Zoylen Fernández-Fleites
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] A 2025 study of 415 Cuban adults found 55.4% severe depression, 66% severe anxiety and 65.8% severe stress. (psychological assessment)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Cuba's electricity generation relies on seven aging Soviet‑era thermal power plants built over four decades. (infrastructure)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Mexico suspended its oil shipments to Cuba due to United States penalties. (policy response)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately ten million Cubans were without power during the July 6, 2026 national grid collapse. (grid failure)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Cuba experiences daily power outages of more than 20 hours in Havana and over 48 hours in other regions. (energy shortages and aging grid)
- [● 2 SOURCES] U.S. sanctions, including Executive Order 14380 signed by President Donald Trump, targeted oil supplies to Cuba and state oil firm CUPET. (sanctions policy)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro on 3 January 2026 abruptly ended Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba. (geopolitical event)