Cuba electrical grid collapses, leaving roughly 10M without power

Cuba suffered an unprecedented power outage on Monday when the entire power grid suddenly collapsed completely, leaving nearly 10 million residents briefly in pitch darkness.

“At 1:54 p.m. local time, the national power grid experienced an outage, resulting in a complete power outage throughout Cuba, including the Havana metropolitan area,” the U.S. Embassy in Cuba said. he said.

The nationwide blackout came just two days after a large crowd of protesters fed up with the island’s energy crisis were caught on camera attacking a local Communist Party headquarters in Cuba, looting the building and trying to set it on fire.

Efforts to restore electricity across the island are ongoing, and there are reports of electricity slowly returning to some areas.

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“The causes are being investigated and restoration protocols are beginning to be activated,” Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines said Monday afternoon, referring to the island’s outage in the Cuban National Electric System. he said.

Cuba’s power grid has become increasingly unstable over the years due to aging infrastructure, fuel shortages and economic restrictions that limit the country’s access to energy resources, including Washington’s long-standing oil embargo and recent U.S. actions that have disrupted fuel shipments from Venezuela, a key source of the country’s energy.

Power outages are frequent throughout the country; Water supply, cooling and communications are disrupted.

“Officials in the U.S. government should be ecstatic about the damage done to every Cuban family,” Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister said. Carlos F. de Cossio said in response to Monday’s power outage.

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Neya Perez, 86, paints the nails of her neighbor Reyna Maria Rodriguez, 77, during a mass power outage across much of the country in Havana on March 4, 2026. (Norlys Perez/Reuters)

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on Friday that no fuel has entered the country for the last three months. Since then, electricity generation has relied heavily on the “significant contribution of renewable energy sources.”

The complete collapse of the power grid came as officials announced updates on solar panel projects in Villa Clara, calling it a “national security imperative” amid ongoing restrictions on fossil fuel imports under the Trump administration.

“In the context of severe energy constraints and ongoing economic quarantine, #Cuba is taking another solid step towards electric sovereignty,” Villa Clara Electric Company said in a statement Monday morning. he said.

“This link comes at a critical time: Washington maintains severe restrictions on our nation’s access to fossil fuels, finance, and technology. Investing in renewable resources is not only an environmental but also a national security necessity.”

As the island continues to experience rolling power outages, residents are asked to prepare for significant outages and unplug all non-essential equipment, “leaving only essential appliances on until service stability is achieved,” Villa Clara Electric Company said.

A family eats dinner during a power outage following Hurricane Ian on September 28, 2022 in Havana. (Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters)

Last Saturday, in a rare show of public dissent sparked by frustration over widespread power outages, anti-government protesters in Cuba reportedly targeted a Communist Party office by throwing rocks, shouting “freedom” and igniting massive fires at the scene.

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The videotaped rally began peacefully in the city of Morón late on Friday but turned violent within hours, Reuters reported, citing local sources.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.