The government in Havana blames US sanctions for the ongoing power outages.Image: keystone
Jul 11, 2026, 06:48Jul 11, 2026, 06:48
For the second time in just four days, another island-wide blackout has occurred in Cuba. The Department of Energy announced that emergency protocols to restore power have been activated. Due to the dilapidated infrastructure and an oil embargo imposed by the USA for months, the socialist Caribbean island is suffering from a severe energy crisis.
“The collapse occurred in the midst of a critical energy crisis from which the country is already suffering heavily,” wrote “Granma,” the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Cuba, on Platform X. The priority, according to the protocols, is to ensure the supply of facilities such as hospitals, it said. The state electricity company UNE initially did not provide any information about the causes of the new outage.
The government in Havana blames US sanctions for the ongoing power outages. Most recently, US President Donald Trump threatened countries that export oil to Cuba with punitive tariffs in January. This led to an almost complete stop in deliveries from abroad. The island can only cover part of its oil needs. Washington is using various pressure measures to force the island to open up economically and politically according to its ideas. (sda/dpa)