President Miguel Diaz-Canel stated that the island has not received any oil shipments in the past three months
The Cuban Energy Ministry reported that Cuba experienced a nationwide power outage on Monday, occurring amid the ongoing US oil blockade of the island. The outage left approximately 11 million people without electricity as the blockade strained the country’s aging power stations.
Officials noted that 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 faced 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 pro-Palestinian 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 Diaz-Canel confirmed that Havana was open to dialogue with Washington “without renouncing our principles or sovereignty.” Diaz-Canel 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.