On Monday, Cuba's state-run power company, the Unión Eléctrica (UNE), announced yet another complete failure of the National Electric Grid. This marks the seventh time the entire system has collapsed in the past 18 months and the third instance in 2026 alone. A brief statement from the company posted on Facebook merely mentioned that an investigation was underway and that automatic restoration procedures were being initiated, sparking a flood of mockery, sarcasm, and frustration among Cubans.
The comments section quickly filled with pointed responses. One user quipped, "What is there to investigate? Everyone already knows what's going on." Another was more blunt: "The fuel ran out, that's the reason." A third added, "Stop investigating, you know exactly why it happened." The irony in response to the official statement was a common theme in hundreds of replies.
Beyond the humor, many comments revealed a deep sense of exhaustion. One Cuban remarked, "We don't even notice anymore because there's never any electricity." Another summarized the situation with a question: "Was there ever power?" Yet another declared, "Anyone who wants to know what hell is like should come to Cuba."
Record-Breaking Power Shortages
The blackout occurred amid a record-breaking electrical shortfall in Cuba: Monday's forecast predicted a deficit ranging from 2,200 to 2,230 MW, with only 1,000 MW available to meet a demand of 3,100 MW. On Sunday, the maximum impact reached 2,201 MW at 10 p.m.
Among the structural reasons for the crisis are multiple thermoelectric plants out of service and 106 distributed generation stations halted due to fuel shortages, rendering 890 MW unavailable. The CTE Antonio Guiteras, in particular, has experienced 17 outages in 2026 and has not undergone comprehensive maintenance since 2010. Additionally, Cuba has gone over three months without receiving oil shipments, a fact citizens highlight as the true cause of the collapse.
Restoration and Public Outcry
The UNE did not provide a timeline for service recovery. As the first sign of progress, the company noted that a generating unit at Energás Boca de Jaruco had resumed operation, but gave no further details about the recovery schedule.
Restoring power after such a total disconnection can take several days, as it involves setting up regional microsystems before reconnecting the large thermoelectric plants. The longest blackout in the current cycle occurred on March 16, 2026, lasting 29 hours and 29 minutes.
The growing discontent has spilled over onto social media. On July 2, residents of La Lisa protested outside the Communist Party headquarters after enduring more than 50 hours without electricity or water. The following day, people in Regla took to the streets after more than 24 hours without power, prompting a police response and an internet shutdown. In parts of Matanzas, outages have lasted up to 87 consecutive hours.
"They're killing us slowly," wrote one Cuban in the UNE's post, capturing the sentiment of those who have been grappling with a crisis that the regime has neither resolved nor seems willing to address.
Understanding Cuba's Electrical Crisis
What is causing the frequent power outages in Cuba?
The frequent power outages in Cuba are primarily due to structural issues within the power grid, including multiple thermoelectric plants being offline and distributed generation stations halted due to fuel shortages.
How are Cuban citizens reacting to the ongoing power issues?
Cuban citizens are expressing their frustration and exhaustion on social media, using sarcasm and irony to criticize the government's handling of the power crisis. Some have even resorted to public protests.