Cuba faces third nationwide blackout in less than 10 days

Peoples sit on the Malecón seawall during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

HAVANA - Cuba’s power grid failed for the third time in less than 10 days, sparking another nationwide blackout, the national electricity company said Tuesday.

The national power grid completely went offline at about 11:05 a.m. (1505 GMT), the state-run UNE electricity company said.

It was the third complete blackout on the Caribbean island since early July and the fifth since the start of 2026. Authorities did not immediately reveal the cause.

Cuba is reeling from its worst economic crisis in decades -- one made worse by the fuel blockade imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump in January as part of a pressure campaign aimed at ending six decades of communist rule.

In both of last week’s blackouts, it took more than 24 hours to restore power across the island of 9.6 million people, a process made slower and more complex by fuel shortages.

Relations between Washington and Havana have been tense since the start of the year, especially since U.S. forces snatched Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro from his home in early January and brought him to the U.S. to face federal charges.

Maduro has long been a staunch ally of Cuba.

U.S. President Donald Trump has deemed Havana a threat to U.S. national security.