Cuba plunged into islandwide blackout as power crisis worsens

1 / 4
People watch the sunset from the Malecón during a blackout in Havana, Monday, March 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
2 / 4
People walk outside during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, Monday, March 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
3 / 4
A street vendor waits for customers on the Malecón during a blackout in Havana, Monday, March 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
4 / 4
A street vendor tends to a customer on the Malecón during a blackout in Havana, Monday, March 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Short Url
Updated 17 March 2026
Follow

Cuba plunged into islandwide blackout as power crisis worsens

  • President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned Friday that the island has gone more than three months without oil shipments
  • Cuba has blamed the crisis on a US energy blockade

HAVANA: Officials in Cuba reported an islandwide blackout Monday as deepening energy and economic crises continue to strain a crumbling power grid. It marked the third major outage in four months. A separate blackout just over a week ago affected western Cuba, leaving millions without electricity.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned Friday that the island has gone more than three months without oil shipments, relying instead on solar power, natural gas and aging thermoelectric plants. Cuba has blamed the crisis on a US energy blockade, while US President Donald Trump warned in January of tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to the island.