Story
September 20, 2026
Cuba’s latest blackout sharpens dispute over who is to blame
Cuban authorities describe the outage as a transmission failure compounded by difficult operating conditions, while the broader crisis is interpreted very differently: Havana stresses external fuel constraints, and the United States points to a deeply unstable power system and domestic management failures.
Cuba suffered another nationwide blackout after its electrical grid collapsed on Friday, disrupting power, communications and other basic services for millions of people. The outage underscored both the immediate fragility of the network and the unresolved argument over the deeper causes of the island’s energy crisis.1
Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines said it had activated restoration protocols. Officials attributed the collapse to a failure on transmission lines in the western region, while the state utility later said unstable weather conditions had also contributed. Authorities began forming isolated power systems in some provinces to keep essential services, including hospitals, operating. By early evening, power had returned to roughly 5% of Havana users, according to one account.1
The human impact was immediate. Teacher Lidia Fernández described a cascading loss of necessities: “One thing after another: no water, no gas to cook, no electricity.”2 Retiree Francisco Rodríguez, who said his home had already been without power for 28 hours, feared the new disconnection would mean “several days” without electricity.2
Both accounts agree that aging thermoelectric plants, fuel shortages and scarce maintenance parts have left the system vulnerable. They differ on emphasis and attribution. The U.S. Embassy in Havana warned that the electrical system was becoming increasingly unstable, with scheduled outages every day and unplanned disruptions growing more frequent and longer; one report counted at least six nationwide collapses since the start of 2026.1
Cuban officials and Havana, by contrast, link the deterioration to U.S. restrictions that have made fuel purchases harder, affecting power plants and diesel-backed generators. The other view, reflected in the U.S. position, places responsibility on Cuba’s government and its economic management. The competing explanations come as the frequency count itself varies: another report called Friday’s failure the seventh general blackout of the year and the 12th since late 2024.2