Cuba's electrical grid collapses amid US oil blockade

"Cuba's national electric grid has collapsed, the country's grid operator has said, leaving approximately 10 million people without power amid a US-imposed oil blockade that has crippled the island's already obsolete generation system. The grid operator, UNE, said on social media on Monday that it was investigating the causes of the blackout, the latest in a series of widespread outages that last for hours or days."

"The US has ratcheted up pressure this year on its longtime foe Cuba since capturing the Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro—Cuba's most important foreign benefactor—in January. The US president, Donald Trump, cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and threatened to put tariffs on any country that sold oil to Cuba, strangling the Caribbean island's already antiquated grid."

"Cuba has received only two small vessels carrying oil imports this year, according to LSEG ship-tracking data seen by Reuters on Monday. The first tanker discharged fuel at the Havana port in January, coming from Mexico, which was a regular supplier to the island until then. The second vessel, from Jamaica, discharged liquefied petroleum gas in February. Venezuela, once Cuba's main oil supplier, has sent no fuel to the island this year."

Cuba's national grid operator UNE announced a complete grid collapse affecting approximately 10 million people, marking the latest in a series of widespread blackouts. The collapse stems from a US-imposed oil blockade that has severely restricted fuel imports to the island. Venezuela, historically Cuba's primary oil supplier, has ceased fuel shipments entirely in 2024. Cuba received only two small oil vessels this year—one from Mexico in January and one carrying cooking gas from Jamaica in February. The US has intensified pressure on Cuba following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January, with President Trump cutting off Venezuelan oil shipments and threatening tariffs against any country supplying oil to Cuba. Cuba's antiquated power generation infrastructure, combined with minimal fuel imports, has created a critical energy crisis. The government reported being in talks with the US to resolve the situation.

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