Havana, Cuba — March 22: Cuba plunged into darkness again after its national power grid collapsed on March 21, leaving more than 10 million people without electricity, CNN reported. The outage is the second nationwide blackout in under a week and the third such collapse this month, underscoring repeated failures of the island’s ageing electrical system.
Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines said a “total disconnection of the National Electric System has occurred” and that protocols to restore service were being implemented; the statement was posted on X. The rolling collapse follows a prolonged energy crisis lasting over two years, driven by chronic fuel shortages, insufficient maintenance of aging plants and external pressures on the island’s oil supply.
Cuban officials have blamed tighter U.S. sanctions, including a targeted oil blockade that curtailed traditional fuel shipments. Earlier this month the shutdown of the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant in Camagüey triggered a cascading failure of the national grid, highlighting the system’s vulnerability. Authorities have tried to set up localized power “islands” to keep critical services such as hospitals and water systems running, but instability persists.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel has acknowledged the gravity of the problem, saying significant oil deliveries have not arrived for months and domestic fuel production only covers a portion of needs. Repeated blackouts continue to disrupt businesses, healthcare services and food preservation, and have heightened public frustration as residents adapt to frequent outages and uncertainty.
(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)
