Cuba's National Power Grid Collapses Again, Leaving Millions Without Electricity

Cuba's national electricity grid collapsed on Friday, cutting power to millions of people across the island, the country's Ministry of Energy and Mines said.

In a statement posted on its official X account, the ministry did not give a reason for the failure. It said officials had begun "activating service-restoration protocols," suggesting efforts to bring the grid back online were under way.

Nationwide grid failures have grown increasingly frequent over the past two years, a pattern driven by the severe economic crisis affecting the island. The situation has deteriorated further since January, when the United States imposed an energy blockade aimed at pressing for a change in Cuba's political system.

Those restrictions have made it difficult for Cuba to import the fuel needed to run its thermoelectric power plants, as well as the replacement parts required to maintain infrastructure that has in many cases become obsolete.

Friday's collapse follows a series of similar disruptions. The two most recent nationwide blackouts occurred in early August, after earlier ones in July and March, along with numerous regional outages.

Even when the national grid is functioning, Cubans routinely face power cuts lasting more than 30 consecutive hours.