Cuba Power Outage Today: Island-Wide Blackout Hits 11 Million, Grid Collapses Amid U.S. Oil Blockade

Cuba's national electrical grid suffered a complete collapse Monday, March 16, 2026, plunging all 11 million residents into darkness in what is now the third major Cuba power outage in just four months. The breakdown is the most severe signal yet of a deepening energy and economic crisis driven by a U.S.-imposed oil blockade that has left the island without a single oil shipment in over three months.

Cuba Power Outage Today: Complete Disconnection Confirmed at 2:19 p.m. ET

Cuba's Ministry of Energy and Mines posted on X confirming a "complete disconnection" of the national electrical system on Monday, March 16, and said it was investigating the cause. Officials noted there were no failures in the units that were operating at the moment the grid went down — meaning the collapse was total and sudden.

Grid operator UNE said the collapse is the latest in a series of widespread outages that have lasted hours or days, and that this weekend sparked a rare violent protest in the communist-run country.

No Oil in Three Months: How the U.S. Blockade Triggered the Cuba Power Outage

The effective blockade of fuel shipments has worsened Cuba's energy crisis, causing intermittent power cuts, a rationing of medical supplies, and the suspension of major surgeries.

Cuba has blamed its woes on a U.S. energy blockade after President Donald Trump warned in January of tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to the island. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed on Friday that the island had not received oil shipments in more than three months and was operating on solar power, natural gas, and thermoelectric plants alone.

No large oil imports have entered this year through Cuba's main hubs of Matanzas or Moa, which typically handle crude for refining and fuel oil for power generation, according to satellite images. The ports of Havana and Cienfuegos also have had no import activity in more than a month.

Cuba's Power Grid Infrastructure Is "Way Past Its Normal Useful Life"

Cuba has relied heavily on foreign assistance and oil shipments from allies like Mexico, Russia, and Venezuela. Critical oil shipments from Venezuela were halted after the U.S. arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in early January. While Cuba produces 40% of its own petroleum and has been generating domestic power, it has not been sufficient to meet demand as its electric grid continues to crumble.

William LeoGrande, a professor at American University who has tracked Cuba for years, said the country's energy grid has not been maintained properly and its infrastructure is "way past its normal useful life." To ramp up solar power quickly enough to compensate, other countries — principally China — would need to more than double their current provision of solar equipment to the island.

Cuba News: Third Blackout in Four Months, Surgeries Postponed, Trash Piling Up

Monday's island-wide collapse marks the third major Cuba power outage in the past four months. A massive outage just over a week ago struck western Cuba, leaving millions without power. A separate major blackout struck in October 2024 following the failure of the Antonio Guiteras Power Plant.

In response to the energy crisis, the Cuban government has announced emergency measures including reduced school hours, postponing major sporting and cultural events, and cutting transport services. Many government-run hospitals have cut services, and a lack of fuel and working dump trucks has caused trash to pile up across whole neighborhoods. Sales of fuel at government-run gas stations are now highly restricted, available only to tourists, diplomats, and Cubans granted a slot through an online system.

Cubans Left Desperate: Food Spoiling, Water Pumps Dead, Protests Erupting

Yaimisel Sánchez Peña, 48, said she was upset that food she buys with money her son in the U.S. sends keeps spoiling, adding that the outages also affect her 72-year-old mother: "Every day, she suffers." Mercedes Velázquez, a 71-year-old Cuban resident, lamented yet another blackout: "We're here waiting to see what happens," she said, adding she recently gave away part of a soup she made while still fresh so as not to throw it out.

Internet traffic in Cuba has dropped to roughly one-third of its normal volume at this time of day, according to Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at network monitoring company Kentik. Canada's largest airline Air Canada suspended flights to Cuba last month due to a shortage of aviation fuel, with the pause expected to last until November 1.

Trump Says U.S. May "Take Cuba" as Crisis Deepens

On Monday, Trump suggested his administration was open to taking Cuba, though he offered few details on what a hypothetical operation against the country would look like. "I do believe I'll be having the honor of taking Cuba. That's a big honor," he said. "Taking Cuba in some form, yeah, taking Cuba. I mean, whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it."

Cuban President Díaz-Canel confirmed on Friday that Cuban officials are in discussions with the United States in an effort to address the ongoing energy crisis. A U.S. official told CBS News earlier this year that the Trump administration does not seek to trigger a collapse of the Cuban government, but rather to negotiate with Havana to transition away from its authoritarian communist system.