Cuba is beginning to restore power after the power grid collapsed in a nationwide blackout

Cuban officials reported an island-wide blackout on Monday in the country of about 11 million people as its energy and economic conditions tighten. Cuba blamed its problems on the US electricity embargo after President Trump in January you have been warned about tariffs in any country it sells or supplies fuel to.

The Ministry of Energy and Mines in X noted a “complete disconnection” from the country’s electricity system and said it was investigating. The minister later said that some “microsystems” have started working in various areas but did not go into further details.

It was the third major blackout in Cuba in the past four months. The cause was not known as of Monday night, Cuban state media said.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on Friday that the island had not received oil shipments in more than three months and was running on solar power, natural gas and thermal power plants, while the government had to postpone operations for tens of thousands of people.

Big break about a week ago It touched the west of the island, leaving millions without power. By 2025, about a year agothe country experienced a major blackout in western Cuba.

Cuba relies heavily on foreign aid and oil exports from allied countries such as Mexico, Russia and Venezuela. But critical oil shipments from Venezuela were halted after the US attacked the South American country in early January and its former president at the time, Nicolás Maduro, was arrested.

Although Cuba produces 40% of its petroleum and has been producing its own energy, it has not been enough to meet demand as its electricity grid continues to deteriorate.

William LeoGrande, a professor at American University who has followed Cuba for years, said the country’s power grid has not been properly maintained and its infrastructure is “past its normal life.”

“The technicians who work on the grid are the magicians to keep it running given the situation it’s in,” said LeoGrande.

LeoGrande said that if the island drastically reduced consumption and increased renewables, it could struggle for a while without oil exports. “But there will be continued misery for many people, and eventually, the economy could collapse completely and there would be social unrest and possibly mass migration,” he said.

In recent days, videos circulating on social media showed citizens of Havana and other cities banging pots and pans in protest, CBS News Miami reported. A common form of public protest known as “cacerolazo” reflects growing frustration as the country struggles with power outages, food shortages, and deteriorating living conditions.

Previously, black people had organized protests against the government in 2021, 2022 and 2024.

Tomás David Velázquez Felipe, a 61-year-old resident of Havana, said that the constant problems make him think that Cubans cannot pack up and leave the island. “This little we have will go to waste,” he said. “Our people are too old to continue suffering.”

On Friday, Díaz-Canel confirmed that Cuba is holding talks with the US government as a country problems continue depth.

Earlier this year, a US official told CBS News that the Trump administration does not want to cause the fall of the Cuban government, but wants to negotiate with Havana to move away from its powerful communist system.