World

Cuba's national electric grid collapses again

By AAP Newswire

Aug 3, 2026

People are seen in an American classic car during a blackout in Havana — Cubans have been plunged into darkness again. -AP

Cuba's ‌national electricity grid collapsed late on ‌Sunday, the state-owned ‌national electric utility said, plunging the island of about 10 million ‌people into ‌darkness ⁠as blackouts are becoming ever more frequent.

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The Union Electrica de Cuba did not provide ⁠any ‌further details in its posts on social media ‌websites X and Facebook on Sunday night.

The outage follows three nationwide blackouts in July and comes as a ‌US-imposed oil blockade has crippled the island's already aging energy infrastructure.

Pressure on the power system has mounted as Cuba struggles to secure fuel imports.

It lost a key source of fuel ⁠after an oil ‌blockade imposed by US President Donald Trump, following Washington's January 3 ouster of ‌Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela had long been Cuba's primary oil supplier, with imports from Mexico also halted amid increased US pressure.

The power crisis coincides with a cautious opening of ‌Cuba's tightly controlled energy sector, driven by fuel shortages and severe US sanctions.

Havana recently authorised its first foreign-backed fuel import venture and allowed nearly 200 Cuban businesses to participate in wholesale fuel distribution.