Cuba faces third nationwide blackout in less than 10 days

Cuba's power grid failed for the third time in less than 10 days, sparking another nationwide blackout, the national electricity company said Tuesday.

The national power grid completely went offline at about 11:05 am (1505 GMT), according to the state-run UNE electricity company.

It was the third complete blackout on the Caribbean island since early July and the fifth since the start of 2026. Authorities did not immediately reveal the cause.

"I have no words," Maria Caridad Alvarez, a 62-year-old housewife, told AFP. "When I woke up this morning, the power was back and I cooked some beans. Now, I went out and it's off again. It feels like there is no solution."

David Matias Rodriguez, an 82-year-old retiree, said he was worried the few things in his refrigerator would be spoiled.

Cuba is reeling from its worst economic crisis in decades -- one made worse by the fuel blockade imposed by US President Donald Trump in January as part of a pressure campaign aimed at ending six decades of communist rule.

In both of last week's blackouts, it took more than 24 hours to restore power across the island of 9.6 million people, a process made slower and more complex by fuel shortages.

In the capital Havana, power outages totalled more than 30 hours at a time, while in the outlying provinces, it was several days before electricity was restored.

Residents in the worst affected areas have vented their frustrations by setting piles on trash on fire or banging on pots and pans.

UNE says the fuel shortages have made the national grid more susceptible to outages, and made the use of emergency generators all but impossible.

Relations between Washington and Havana have been tense since the start of the year, especially since US forces snatched Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro from his home in early January and brought him to the US to face federal charges.

Maduro had long been a staunch ally of Cuba.

Washington has authorized the arrival of only one Russian tanker -- carrying 100,000 tons of crude -- which came in March. Those reserves have since been exhausted.

In addition to its oil blockade, the Trump administration has ramped up sanctions against Cuban state-owned businesses, prompting many foreign businesses to suspend operations in the country.

The United States has also indicted former president Raul Castro, brother of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, over the downing of two civilian planes three decades ago.

Late last month, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said "no progress" had been made in months of bilateral discussions.

jb/sst/des

© Agence France-Presse