Cuba’s aging power grid collapsed on Monday, leaving the island’s 11 million people in darkness as the nation grapples with a deepening energy and economic crisis. The Ministry of Energy and Mines announced a “complete disconnection” of the electrical system and said crews were attempting to restart several thermoelectric plants, but by nightfall power had been restored to only about 5 % of Havana’s residents—roughly 42,000 customers—and a handful of hospitals.
“It must be done gradually to avoid setbacks,” electricity director Lázaro Guerra told state media, noting that weak systems are especially vulnerable to failure. In homes across Havana, candles flickered as families struggled to keep food from spoiling. “We have to prepare a mattress for the girls here so that they can sleep here because we have no choice,” said Yuneici Cecilia Riviaux, holding a door open to a dark room. “I don’t have a rechargeable fan or a generator,” she added.
The blackout marks the third major islandwide outage in four months, underscoring a grid that experts say is “way past its normal useful life.” William LeoGrande, a professor at American University who has studied Cuba for years, said, “The technicians working on the grid are magicians to keep it running at all given the shape that it’s in.” He warned that without a dramatic reduction in consumption and a rapid expansion of renewables, the country could face “social chaos and probably mass migration.”
Cuba’s energy woes are compounded by external pressures. President Donald Trump, speaking on Monday, claimed he would have the “honor of taking Cuba” and said, “I mean, whether I free it, take it. I think I could do anything I want with it,” describing the island as a “very weakened nation.” The Trump administration has linked the lifting of U.S. sanctions to political reforms, including the possible ouster of President Miguel Díaz‑Canel, who earlier confirmed talks with Washington.
Díaz‑Canel told reporters the island has not received oil shipments in three months and is now relying on solar power, natural gas and thermoelectric plants, forcing the postponement of tens of thousands of surgeries. Óscar Pérez‑Oliva Fraga, Cuba’s deputy prime minister for foreign trade, said the government remains open to trade with U.S. companies and will allow Cubans living abroad to partner in private projects, even granting land-use rights for large‑scale infrastructure.
For ordinary Cubans, the blackout translates into daily hardships. Residents described candles lighting homes and food spoiling, while others, like 61‑year‑old Tomás David Velázquez Felipe, lamented that the relentless outages make many consider leaving the island. “Our people are too old to keep suffering,” he said.
The crisis illustrates a perfect storm: an aging, under‑maintained grid, dwindling oil imports, limited hard currency for spare parts, and geopolitical tensions that constrain external aid. As Cuban officials work to restore power piece by piece, the human cost of the outage—darkened streets, cold nights and uncertainty about the future—remains stark.