Cuba Suffers Two Major Blackouts In Two Days

Cuba suffered two major power grid failures this weekend.

A partial grid collapse on Saturday knocked out electricity across western Cuba. After power was gradually restored Sunday afternoon, the grid collapsed completely late Sunday night — plunging the entire island into darkness.

Sunday’s national grid failure is the sixth since the Trump administration imposed a fuel blockade on Cuba in late January. The island fell under three nationwide blackouts in eight days last month. 

Sanctions imposed on the island by the Trump administration over the past year have restricted Cuba’s access not only to fuel, but also to the financing and foreign currency needed to purchase replacement parts for Cuba’s aging power plants. 

With fewer resources available for repairs and maintenance, the grid is increasingly vulnerable to failures. Cubans go days without the power needed for refrigeration or running water. Gas is increasingly hard to find — with many on the island resorting to charcoal for cooking at home — while taxi drivers line up for hours to fill their tanks.