Cuba plunged into third nationwide blackout in two weeks as fuel runs low
Cuba is experiencing its third nationwide blackout in two weeks due to fuel shortages exacerbated by U.S. economic sanctions. The government is struggling to restore power to critical infrastructure like hospitals while the island faces a deepening economic crisis.
Why it matters
The energy crisis highlights the severe humanitarian and economic impact of international sanctions on the Cuban population.
Cuba suffered another blackout of the National Electric System, or SEN, leaving the entire country without power, officials said.
The blackout on Tuesday (July 14, 2026) was the third such incident in two weeks as a U.S. oil embargo stresses the island's grid.
Fuel has been running out across Cuba since January, when U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to the island, deepening the island's ongoing economic and financial crisis. Public transportation has largely been halted, and officials have canceled tens of thousands of surgeries.
Cuba produces only 40% of the fuel it needs. A solution for fuel imports is not yet in sight.
The state-owned Electric Union reported that a problem with a generating unit in the eastern province of Holguín caused “a sudden frequency change,” resulting in the SEN blackout around midday.
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