- Cuba’s national electrical grid suffered its second total collapse in less than a week on Saturday, March 21, 2026, leaving over 10 million people without power.
- The crisis is being driven by a U.S.-imposed oil blockade that has cut off shipments from Venezuela and Mexico, following the U.S. ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January.
- U.S President Donald Trump has publicly speculated on “taking Cuba,” calling it a “weakened nation” and suggesting he has the authority to “do anything I want with it.”
Cuba is currently struggling to restore basic services after a massive failure at the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant in Camagüey triggered a cascading blackout across the entire island.
Eko Hot Blog reports that this marks the third nationwide power failure in March 2026, as the country’s aging infrastructure buckles under a severe fuel shortage.
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The Cuban Ministry of Energy has activated “micro-islands” of generation to prioritize hospitals, water systems, and food distribution, but millions remain in the dark.
The energy crisis has escalated rapidly since the start of the year. Following a military intervention in Venezuela that removed Cuba’s primary benefactor, the Trump administration signed Executive Order 14380, threatening heavy tariffs on any nation providing oil to the island.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has confirmed that while “sensitive” talks with Washington are ongoing, Cuba will not negotiate away its political system or sovereignty.
The blackout has coincided with aggressive rhetoric from the White House. President Trump, referring to his “Donroe Doctrine” for the Western Hemisphere, told reporters on Monday, March 16, that he expects to have the “honor of taking Cuba in some form.”
“Whether I free it, take it , think I could do anything I want with it. They’re a very weakened nation right now,” Trump stated.
U.S Secretary of State Marco Rubio is reportedly leading the initiative, with the administration demanding the release of political prisoners and the resignation of Díaz-Canel in exchange for lifting the blockade.
In response, Cuban officials have accused the U.S. of “fascist and genocidal” tactics aimed at provoking social chaos through economic strangulation.
