07.07.2026 01:30
A total blackout occurred across Cuba after the National Electric System was completely disabled. In an emergency statement, the state-owned Electric Union announced the total collapse of the grid, leaving over 10 million people on the island plunged into darkness overnight. With the country experiencing its eighth general collapse in the last two years, life has come to a near standstill, and it is noted that gradually restoring the system could take days.
A massive blackout occurred across Cuba after the national electricity grid completely shut down. The country, experiencing its eighth general collapse in the last 24 months, has come to a standstill, and it is reported that restoring the system could take days.
MORE THAN 10 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE DARK
Cuba, targeted by U.S. President Donald Trump, is enduring another of its most challenging days amid a chronic infrastructure and energy crisis. The state-run electricity company, Electric Union (UNE), announced in an urgent statement on the social media platform X that the National Electric System (SEN) had completely collapsed. While the cause of the grid collapse has not yet been clearly determined, approximately 10 million people on the island are once again left in the dark.
EIGHTH GLOBAL COLLAPSE IN THE LAST TWO YEARS
This latest major power outage once again highlights the structural collapse facing the country, beyond temporary failures. According to official records, this development is the third major general blackout in 2026 and is recorded as the eighth system collapse leaving the entire country in darkness in the last 24 months.
Engineers and energy experts state that restoring the collapsed central grid is a very complex process. To restart the system, electricity generation must first be initiated locally in small micro-regions, and then these areas must be gradually and balancedly connected to each other. This operation is estimated to take days.
THE ISLAND'S ENERGY PRESCRIPTION: 100,000 BARRELS OF OIL PER DAY
Cuba needs over 100,000 barrels of oil per day to operate its power plants and meet minimum energy needs. However, the country's current production capacity falls far short of this need. While only 40,000 barrels of the required amount can be met through domestic production, more than 60,000 barrels must be imported. When economic sanctions, currency shortages, and logistical disruptions with supplier countries hamper oil imports, thermal power plants are taken offline in a chain reaction.
THE ECONOMY IS ALSO MELTING LIKE ENERGY: EXPECTED CONTRACTION OF 7.2%
The Cuban economy has been gripped by a deep structural crisis for the past six years, characterized by high inflation, a devalued peso, and shortages of basic goods such as food and medicine. Power outages are crippling production in the industrial and service sectors almost entirely. Independent analysts and international organizations predict that, due to the impact of this chronic paralysis in energy lines, the Cuban economy will experience a sharp contraction of 7.2% overall in 2026.