Cuba restores power after third nationwide blackout in eight days

Cuba restored its national electric grid on Wednesday morning after a third total blackout in eight days left more than 9.4 million people without power for about 20 hours Source: Infobae. The state-owned Unión Eléctrica (UNE) announced at 07:00 local time that the Sistema Electroenergético Nacional (SEN) had been reconnected, though more than half the country remained without service in the hours that followed Source: ABC.

The repeated collapses

The blackout on Tuesday was the third in a week, following ones on July 6 and July 10, and the fifth in 2026 Source: El Nacional. The government attributes the crisis to a U.S. oil blockade imposed in January, which halted Venezuelan crude shipments after Nicolás Maduro's arrest Source: Hoy. "Lo decimos y lo volvemos a repetir. Hay una total ausencia de combustible," said Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy Source: Diario Libre. Independent experts, however, point to decades of underinvestment in aging thermal plants as the underlying cause Source: ABC.

Social impact and protests

The blackouts have crippled daily life, with Havana experiencing cuts of over 30 consecutive hours and some provinces facing up to 72 hours without power Source: La Voz. Residents have taken to the streets in peaceful protests, banging pots and burning trash in frustration Source: Emol. "Esto no es vida," a Havana resident told ABC Source: ABC.

Long-term solutions remain elusive. A solar energy program with Chinese support aims to build 92 solar parks, but experts estimate that fully modernizing the grid would cost between $8 billion and $10 billion Source: Hoy.