Cuba Grid Collapses for Third Time in Nine Days

The national power grid of Cuba suffered a total collapse at 11:05 a.m. on July 14, 2026, marking the third nationwide blackout in nine days and the fifth of the year. The failure was triggered by a generating unit shutdown at the Felton thermoelectric plant in Holguín, which caused a sudden frequency change that crashed the system. The outage left approximately 9.6 million people without power, disrupting water systems, telecommunications, and food refrigeration, while canceling tens of thousands of surgeries.

The Electric Union reported a critical generation shortfall, producing only 1,155 MW against a peak demand of 3,150 MW. Restoration efforts began gradually on July 15, prioritizing hospitals and food processing plants through the creation of micro-islands. Despite these efforts, only 24 percent of households in Havana had power restored by the morning of July 15.

Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy attributed the systemic failure to aging infrastructure and a complete lack of fuel and spare parts. He cited a U.S.-imposed oil blockade, implemented by President Donald Trump in January 2026 following the deposition of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as a primary cause. These shortages have fueled social tensions, contributing to a surge of protests in Havana where residents engaged in pot-banging demonstrations to express their outrage.