Cuba’s national power network has failed, the island’s grid manager announced, leaving roughly ten million residents in the dark as a U.S. oil embargo has crippled the country’s already outdated generation system.
The operator, UNE, posted on social media on Monday that it was probing the reasons behind the outage, the newest in a string of extensive blackouts that have lasted hours or days and that last weekend provoked an unusual violent demonstration in the communist‑run nation.
Washington has intensified pressure on its long‑standing adversary Cuba this year after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro – Cuba’s chief foreign patron – in January. President Donald Trump halted Venezuelan oil deliveries to Cuba and warned of tariffs on any nation that supplies oil to the island, further choking the Caribbean state’s aging grid.
Cuba said on Friday that it was negotiating with the United States in hopes of easing the crisis. Trump has recently claimed that Cuba is on the brink of collapse and is keen to strike a deal with Washington.
According to LSEG vessel‑tracking data reviewed by Reuters on Monday, Cuba has received only two small ships carrying oil this year.
The first tanker off‑loaded fuel at Havana’s port in January, arriving from Mexico, which had been a regular supplier until then. The second ship, hailing from Jamaica, delivered liquefied petroleum gas – commonly used for cooking – in February.
Venezuela, once the island’s principal oil source, has sent no fuel to Cuba this year.
Venezuela’s state oil firm, PDVSA, loaded gasoline onto a tanker last month that had previously been used for shipments to Cuba, but the vessel has remained in Venezuelan waters, PDVSA paperwork and tanker‑monitoring data reveal.
Satellite imagery examined by TankerTrackers.com shows that no major imports have entered Cuba this year through its primary hubs of Matanzas or Moa, which normally handle crude for refining and fuel oil for power generation. The ports of Havana and Cienfuegos have shown no import activity for over a month, the analysis added.
Trump told reporters on Monday that he believed he would have the “honour of taking Cuba,” reiterating his latest threat to the communist‑run island following military actions in Venezuela and Iran.
“I do believe I’ll be … having the honour of taking Cuba,” Trump said at the White House. “Whether I free it, take it – I could do whatever I want with it, you want the truth. They’re a very weakened nation right now.”
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