Cuba experienced a second nationwide power outage this week on Friday, marking the fourth major collapse of the island’s electrical grid in 2026. The disruptions come amid a worsening energy crisis attributed to a US-imposed oil blockade, which has severely strained Cuba’s aging electricity generation system.

Energy Minister Vicente de la O Ley acknowledged the situation on social media, stating that efforts were underway to restore the National Electric Power System despite ongoing difficulties faced by the country. Prior to Friday’s blackout, several areas including Santiago de Cuba remained without power following a widespread outage on Monday that affected all 10 million residents. Officials managed to reconnect much of the grid by late Tuesday, but fuel shortages continued to hamper full recovery.

The repeated outages have resulted in significant economic challenges, particularly for small business owners. Yailin Fis Garcia, a 26-year-old entrepreneur in Havana, described the impact on her newly opened cafe and pizza shop. “All the food spoils, which is an economic hit,” she said, noting that Friday’s blackout was the second since her establishment began operations just weeks ago. She also pointed out that some neighborhoods near the capital endure even more severe energy shortages, a factor that contributed to Mexico’s recent decision to halt oil shipments to Cuba.

Residents like Havana’s Gabriel Rico have adapted to the frequent blackouts by keeping flashlights readily available. He attributed the ongoing hardships to the US blockade, which he said has left the population “in shreds.” The persistent power failures have also increased social tensions, triggering scattered protests in Havana, where residents banged pots and pans in response to Monday’s outage. However, these demonstrations remain localized and fall short of the large-scale antigovernment protests witnessed in July 2021.

The Cuban government attributes the energy crisis to the longstanding US trade embargo, arguing that it has hampered efforts to modernize and maintain infrastructure. In contrast, US officials blame Cuba’s blackouts on economic mismanagement by the island’s state-controlled system. The United States has openly stated its objective of encouraging political change in Cuba.