Cuba experienced its second nationwide blackout in less than a week on July 10, 2026, plunging the entire island into darkness shortly before evening. The outage began at 4:30 PM local time, as reported by the Union Electrica de Cuba, the state-owned utility responsible for the electrical grid.
Cuba's Ongoing Power Outages
This latest blackout follows a similar incident that occurred just days earlier, bringing the total number of island-wide outages to four since the beginning of the year. Two additional blackouts were recorded in March. While power outages are not uncommon in Cuba, the frequency and intensity of these incidents have increased recently.
The aging electricity infrastructure, much of which dates back to the Cold War, has struggled to keep up with demand. The situation has worsened since January 2026, when U.S. President Donald Trump effectively severed Cuba's foreign oil supply, exacerbating existing issues.
Impact of the U.S. Fuel Blockade
Since the 1960s, Cuba has been under a stringent trade embargo imposed by the United States, which has significantly restricted the island's access to essential resources. Following Trump's second term inauguration, he intensified measures against Cuba, claiming it posed a threat to U.S. national security. On January 29, 2026, he issued an executive order threatening tariffs against any country supplying fuel to Cuba.
As a result, the island has seen a drastic reduction in oil imports, with only one Russian oil tanker reaching Cuba since March 2026. According to the International Energy Agency, Cuba now produces only 40% of the oil it consumes, relying heavily on foreign sources.
