Cuba suffers nationwide power outage amid US blockade

RT.com
17 Mar 2026, 05:15 GMT+10

The island has not received oil shipments for the past three months, President Miguel DiazCanel said

Cuba suffered a nationwide power outage on Monday, the Cuban Energy Ministry said, amid the continuing US oil blockade of the island. The blackout left nearly 11million people without electricity as the blockade strained the country's aging power stations.

Officials said emergency protocols were activated and that power has since been restored in several areas, including the Faustino Perez Hospital in Matanzas. The Energy Ministry said the cause of the outage is under investigation.

Cuba has experienced prolonged power cuts and fuel shortages since the US threatened to impose sanctions on countries importing oil to the island. US President Donald Trump cited Cuba's ties with Russia, China, Iran, and proPalestinian armed groups as justification for the economic pressure.

In early January, the US launched a commando raid in Venezuela, Cuba's top oil supplier, capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom Trump accused of running drug cartels. Maduro denied the drug and weapons charges when he was brought before a New York court.

On Friday, Cuban President Miguel DiazCanel confirmed that Havana was open to dialogue with Washington "without renouncing our principles or sovereignty." DiazCanel said that Cuba has not received oil shipments over the past three months due to the "wicked" blockade, which has impacted many residents, including children in need of medical help.

Russia, China, and the UN have condemned the US blockade as "inhumane," warning that outages and power cuts disproportionately hurt civilians.

(RT.com)

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