Cuba’s power supply dropping to new lows, leading to prolonged blackouts

People look at a barricade set up by residents protesting against prolonged power outages in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

HAVANA, Cuba -- President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Wednesday blamed a U.S.-imposed “genocidal energy blockade” against Cuba for its grim energy shortages.

The island’s power supplies are dropping to new lows, data compiled by AFP showed, with prolonged blackouts and record generation shortfalls in recent days.

Sixty-five per cent of Cuban territory endured simultaneous blackouts on Tuesday, according to the data.

Diaz-Canel acknowledged the “particularly tense” situation in an X post.

“This dramatic worsening has a single cause: the genocidal energy blockade to which the United States subjects our country, threatening irrational tariffs against any nation that supplies us with fuel,” he said.

The island’s ongoing energy crisis worsened in January when the United States imposed an oil blockade on the island of 9.6 million people.

Since then, only one Russian tanker has reached Cuba, which is in the throes of economic stagnation and supply shortages.

Outages of more than 19 hours a day are being reported in Havana, while in several provinces, blackouts last for entire days, meaning that most Cubans spend more time without power than with it.

The current period of difficulty reflects deteriorating conditions that had slightly improved in April following the arrival of the Russian tanker.

Cuba’s electricity generation is sustained by a network of eight aging thermoelectric plants -- some in operation for over 40 years -- that suffer frequent breakdowns or must be shut down for maintenance cycles.

Cubans have endured seven nationwide blackouts since 2024, including two in March, and fuel prices have soared.