Cuba is in the process of gradually restoring power following a nationwide blackout that occurred on Tuesday morning, marking the third such outage in less than 10 days. The state-run electricity company, Unión Eléctrica (UNE), reported that the national electricity grid went offline around 11:05 a.m., leaving the island’s approximately 9.6 million residents without power. By early Wednesday morning, only about 24 percent of households in the capital, Havana, had electricity.

UNE attributed the blackout to a fault at a thermoelectric power plant, which experienced a “sudden frequency change” in one of its generating units. This event follows multiple widespread power outages this year, with five major blackouts recorded since January and three occurring within the first half of July alone.

Residents have expressed frustration and hardship due to the recurring outages. Maria Caridad Alvarez, a Havana resident, described the situation as emotionally draining, explaining that power restoration has been intermittent. Another resident, retiree David Matias Rodriguez, noted concerns about food spoilage due to the prolonged loss of refrigeration. Power outages in Havana have lasted over 30 hours during recent blackouts, while electricity restoration in more remote provinces has taken several days. In some areas, public frustration has manifested in protests such as setting trash piles on fire and banging on pots and pans.

Cuba’s ongoing energy crisis is compounded by broader economic challenges, with officials citing fuel shortages as a primary obstacle. These shortages have hindered the operation of emergency generators and complicated repair efforts. Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy described the current conditions as akin to “living through a war,” attributing the crisis not only to the condition of the electrical infrastructure but also to external factors.

Specifically, the Cuban government points to actions taken by the United States, including a cutoff of oil supplies initiated in January 2026 under President Donald Trump’s administration. The U.S. measures are part of a broader strategy aimed at pressuring Cuba and ending more than six decades of communist rule. Sanctions have also targeted Cuban state-owned enterprises, leading to the withdrawal or suspension of operations by several foreign businesses on the island.

Relations between Washington and Havana remain tense, further complicated by U.S. involvement in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year, a close Cuban ally. In response to the sanctions and fuel blockade, Cuba has faced severe difficulties in securing necessary crude oil and spare parts for power plant maintenance. Only one Russian tanker carrying 100,000 tons of crude oil was allowed to dock in March, but those reserves are reported to have since been exhausted.

Diplomatic efforts to address the escalating tensions have seen little progress. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez recently stated that months of bilateral discussions have failed to yield substantive results. As Cuba continues to navigate this energy emergency amid strained international relations and internal economic challenges, the population faces ongoing disruptions to daily life.