Cuba endures dayslong blackouts, 20-minute power bursts under Trump oil blockade
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Cuba is experiencing dayslong blackouts with electricity available only in 20-minute bursts, as the Trump administration's oil blockade intensifies an energy crisis. The unpredictable outages have halted public transportation, tourism, and daily life, leaving 25,000 hospitality jobs vacant. The sixth nationwide grid collapse last weekend underscored the deepening instability even as families seize short power windows for essential tasks.
The Power Crisis
Cuba’s electricity supply has collapsed into unpredictable intervals, with power often available for only 20 minutes at a time, day or night. The crisis intensified after President Trump threatened tariffs on nations trading oil with Cuba and imposed stricter sanctions in January, aiming to force political change. The sixth nationwide grid failure occurred last weekend, plunging the entire island into darkness; previously scheduled outages of 2–3 hours have been replaced by blackouts lasting 12 to 30 hours or more.
Economic and Daily Life Impact
Public transportation and cultural events have ground to a halt. Tourism, the country’s economic engine, has collapsed as companies withdraw, leaving 25,000 hospitality jobs vacant. Medicine shortages have worsened, food rots in refrigerators without power, and water pumps fail, leaving homes dry even when electricity briefly returns. Residents like Leidis Rodríguez, 72, and her daughter Yaimara Matos, 41, cook, wash, and iron frantically during short power windows, compressing 10 hours of chores into two.
What's Next
The Cuban government has not announced a timeline for grid stabilization, and no diplomatic resolution to the oil blockade is in sight. Analysts warn that the crisis may deepen if the U.S. maintains its pressure, raising the risk of more frequent total grid collapses and worsening humanitarian conditions.
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Cuba endures dayslong blackouts, 20-minute power bursts under Trump oil blockade
