Cuba Works to Restore Power After Third Grid Collapse This Month

Cuba is working to restore electricity after its power grid failed completely for the third time in March, leaving millions without power. Only 72,000 customers in Havana had electricity restored by Sunday morning. The island nation faces an unprecedented energy crisis worsened by fuel shortages and aging infrastructure.

Cuban officials began efforts to restore electricity across the island Sunday following a complete power grid failure that plunged millions into darkness for the third occurrence this March.

By Sunday morning, approximately 72,000 customers in Havana had their power restored, including five medical facilities, according to reports from the state Electric Union and Ministry of Energy and Mines. However, this represents only a small portion of the capital city’s roughly 2 million residents.

Emergency power microsystems were established in Havana and other provinces including western Matanzas and eastern Holguin to supply critical facilities. Some residents in parts of the capital reported to The Associated Press that their electricity returned in the early morning hours.

The Caribbean nation is experiencing an unparalleled energy emergency. While its deteriorating electrical infrastructure has declined significantly in recent years, government officials have also attributed the outages to a U.S. energy embargo. President Donald Trump warned in January about imposing tariffs on nations that sell or supply oil to Cuba. His administration is demanding Cuba free political prisoners and pursue political and economic reforms in exchange for lifting sanctions. Trump has also mentioned the possibility of a “friendly takeover of Cuba.”

Cuba’s oil shortage has been worsened by the U.S. removal of Venezuela’s former President Nicolás Maduro, which stopped crucial petroleum deliveries from the nation that had been a loyal ally to Havana.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel has stated the island has not received oil from international suppliers for three months. Cuba generates only about 40% of the fuel required to operate its economy.

Frequent power outages severely affect residents, whose daily lives are disrupted by shortened work schedules, inability to cook with electricity, and damage to home appliances, along with numerous other problems.

“With the blackout and low voltage, my refrigerator broke — that was today. The day before yesterday, the voltage also dropped around 10 at night,” Suleydi Crespo, a 33-year-old woman with two small children, told AP on Saturday. “If there’s no electricity tomorrow, we won’t be able to get water.”

Citizens also voiced fatigue from the continuous outages, whether complete or partial.

The Cuban Electric Union, which operates under the Ministry of Energy and Mines, stated that the complete disconnection of the national power system resulted from an unexpected shutdown of a generation unit at the Nuevitas thermoelectric facility in Camaguey province, though they did not provide specifics about what caused the malfunction.

The previous nationwide power failure happened on Monday and required several days to fully restore service.

Saturday’s blackout marked the second occurrence in the past week and the third in March.

“We have to get used to continuing our usual routine. What else can we do? We have to try to survive. Get used to events, with or without electricity,” said Dagnay Alarcón, a 35-year-old vendor.

Government officials and Díaz-Canel have recognized the severity of the current energy crisis. Vice Minister of Energy and Mines Argelio Abad Vigo explained this week that the country has gone three months without receiving shipments of diesel, fuel oil, gasoline, aviation fuel or liquefied petroleum gas — all essential for the economy and electricity production.

Vehicle fuel sales are limited, airlines have canceled flights or reduced service, and many businesses have shortened operating hours.

Trump has repeatedly suggested for months that Cuba’s government is close to collapse. Following a previous electrical grid failure, Trump told reporters he believed he would soon have “the honor of taking Cuba.”