- Cuba has begun restoring electricity after a nationwide blackout, the sixth grid collapse to hit the country this year.
- Ageing infrastructure, fuel shortages and ongoing U.S. sanctions continue to strain the island’s electricity system.
Cuba has begun restoring electricity after another nationwide blackout plunged the island into darkness. This makes it the sixth major grid collapse since the start of 2026. Authorities started restoring power on Monday, August 3, 2026. With approximately 23 per cent of Havana regaining electricity by the morning.
The latest outage once again exposed the challenges facing Cuba’s ageing electricity infrastructure and ongoing fuel shortages, which continue to disrupt power generation across the country.
The blackout struck late on Sunday, August 2, 2026, leaving homes and businesses without electricity during the summer heat. Many residents also lost access to water as pumping systems shut down.
Most Cubans currently receive electricity for only a few hours each day because the country’s power system continues to struggle with generation shortages and repeated equipment failures. Residents across several communities expressed frustration over the prolonged crisis. Some protested by banging pots and pans or burning piles of rubbish in the streets.
Many households have resorted to sleeping outdoors or on balconies to escape the heat caused by the extended outages.
Fuel shortages have further weakened Cuba’s electricity sector. Most of the country’s power plants rely on fuel oil, diesel or natural gas, but limited fuel supplies have reduced electricity generation.
The Cuban government attributes the country’s energy crisis largely to United States sanctions, arguing that restrictions have limited fuel imports and undermined the electricity sector.
The United States, however, maintains that Cuba’s economic and energy challenges stem primarily from domestic economic management rather than sanctions.
Earlier this year, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump approved the delivery of one Russian tanker carrying 100,000 tonnes of crude oil to Cuba. Those supplies have since been depleted, leaving the country to contend with continued fuel shortages and recurring electricity disruptions.
The latest blackout highlights the urgent need for investment in Cuba’s ageing electricity infrastructure as the country seeks to improve grid reliability and restore stable power supplies.