Collapse of the network comes amid Trump’s sanctions on Cuban oil; energy crisis and food shortages increase tension
The operator of Cuba’s electrical system reported this Monday (March 16, 2026) that the national grid suffered a total collapse, leaving around 10 million people without electricity supply. The blackout comes as the United States imposes restrictions on oil supplies to the country.
The electricity grid operator announced on its social networks that it is investigating the causes of the interruption. This is the latest in a series of widespread failures that last for hours or days. On Saturday (14 March), the interruptions caused a , a rare event in the country governed by the Communist Party. Protesters invaded a Communist Party office in the city of Morón, central Cuba.
According to the UNE note, the Cuban SEN (National Electric System) was facing a capacity deficit that affected supply for 24 hours the day before the collapse. The outage began on Sunday (15 March 2026) and continued until the early hours of Monday.
On Sunday, at 7:20 pm, the deficit reached 1,891 MW. The value exceeded what was planned because demand was greater than expected.
Several thermoelectric power plant units are out of operation: Unit 5 of the Mariel CTE, Units 2 and 3 of the Santa Cruz CTE, Unit 2 of the Felton CTE and Units 3 and 6 of the Antonio Maceo CTE are in detail. Unit 6 of CTE Mariel, Unit 5 of CTE Nuevitas and Unit 4 of CTE Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, in Cienfuegos, are undergoing maintenance. Limitations on thermal generation add up to 492 MW out of service.
The blackout occurs amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the supply of oil to Cuba. The operator UNE did not disclose the specific causes of the total collapse of the electricity network and only said that it was investigating the reasons for the interruption.
The United States has intensified sanctions against Cuba since January 2026. The American president (Republican Party) cut Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and threatened to any country that sold oil to the island. The measures increase pressure on an economy that was already facing difficulties.
The Cuban government confirmed that it began on Friday (March 13, 2026) to try to neutralize the crisis. In recent weeks, Trump has made a series of statements claiming that Cuba is on the brink of collapse and eager to make a deal with the United States.
