Cuba - National Blackout and Energy Crisis - March 2026

[otto]

The US has blocked oil deliver to Cuba for months, resulting in an humanitarian crisis. The US Embassy in Havana wants special treatment. The US Embassy requested the delivery of two containers of fuel from the US for their special use. When the fuel containers arrived, the Cuban Government refused to allow delivery to the US Embassy.

Two-tiered quality of life ... us versus them ... rich versus poor ... the US expects special treatment for their citizens in Cuba while attempting to destroy the lives of all other Cubans.

"The Cuban government this week refused a request by the U.S. Embassy in Havana to import diesel fuel for its generators this week, calling the ask “shameless,” given the Trump administration’s fuel blockade on the island, according to diplomatic cables reviewed by The Washington Post.
...

Staff at the U.S. Embassy have been consolidated into group housing to conserve fuel and are increasingly working remotely, according to a person familiar with conditions in Havana. Without Cuban government approval, there is no fuel, and without fuel the embassy will soon need to draw staff down, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation publicly.

The embassy sought permission to import two containers of fuel from the United States, according to this week’s cables.
...

While the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Relations told U.S. diplomats the plan was “bold,” it did not initially indicate it would block the shipment. But when [the shipment] arrived Tuesday at Port Mariel, the ministry told the embassy the request had been refused.
...

“The Ministry interprets as shameless the claim by the diplomatic mission to access a good as a privilege that it denies to the Cuban people,”
...

The Cuban government is preparing for all potential U.S. actions, including a military incursion, the official said. Havana has shown a willingness to make concessions on economic issues, but not on political changes, the official said. Officials have grown frustrated at Trump’s continued threats against the island, leading to an “impasse.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/03/20/us-embassy-havana-cuba-fuel-blackout/

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The Cuban government denied the U.S. embassy in Havana’s request to import fuel to keep generators running for the building, as the country experiences island-wide blackouts amid a dire oil shortage caused by the Trump administration.

In diplomatic cables from earlier this month, obtained by The Washington Post, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Relations told U.S. diplomats it was “bold” and “shameless” of the United States to try to ship two containers of fuel for the embassy in Havana.

“The Ministry interprets as shameless the claim by the diplomatic mission to access a good as a privilege that it denies to the Cuban people,” the ministry said, according to a Washington Post translation of the note.

Cuba rejects US embassy’s request to import fuel for generators amid Trump’s blockade

US embassy in Havana attempted to import two containers of fuel earlier this month, according to a new report

www.independent.co.uk

 

[otto]

The Cuban government denied the U.S. embassy in Havana’s request to import fuel to keep generators running for the building, as the country experiences island-wide blackouts amid a dire oil shortage caused by the Trump administration.

In diplomatic cables from earlier this month, obtained by The Washington Post, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Relations told U.S. diplomats it was “bold” and “shameless” of the United States to try to ship two containers of fuel for the embassy in Havana.

“The Ministry interprets as shameless the claim by the diplomatic mission to access a good as a privilege that it denies to the Cuban people,” the ministry said, according to a Washington Post translation of the note.

Cuba rejects US embassy’s request to import fuel for generators amid Trump’s blockade

US embassy in Havana attempted to import two containers of fuel earlier this month, according to a new report

www.independent.co.uk

My take away from this "bold" and "shameless" decision is that the US perceives itself as superior to people in other countries. They deserve a comfortable lifestyle, but those in other countries should be satisfied with no food, no heat, no lighting, no transportation - as though they are lesser people who don't need a normal quality of life.

 

[PatLaurel]

Without Cuban government approval, there is no fuel, and without fuel the embassy will soon need to draw staff down,

No need to draw staff down. Just switch to candlelight, handwrite the reports, and maybe take the opportunity to mingle with Cubans "de a pie"... Call it a cultural immersion program.
Cubans, and even other countries’ diplomatic staff, have managed through shortages for years. I promise, it won’t kill you. Relax, have a cafecito, and enjoy the view from work! It’s one of the most beautiful views human eyes have ever seen. 360°!!!

MOO JMO

 

[imstilla.grandma]

As Trump tries to cram Cuba into his problematic Venezuela framework, will the situation dissolve into chaos? Will Cuba be forced into some kind of protectorate status with the U.S.? And if so, will the economic initiative hinted at by Secretary of State Marco Rubio lead to a democratic opening?

Despite what Trump may think, forcing regime change in Cuba will be a lot more complicated than taking out Nicolás Maduro.

Political and economic experts have declared the Cuban Revolution dead countless times over its 67-year reign but the comandantes —with and without Fidel Castro — have shown an uncanny knack for survival.

As Trump continues to squeeze Cuba, my thoughts go to my father. It was my father who planned my family’s escape from Cuba on a crammed 28-foot boat in February 1963, less than two years after the United States’ botched Bay of Pigs invasion and just three and a half months after the Cuban missile crisis.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/03/21/trump-cuba-protests-perspective-00836477

 

[otto]

Cubans say every day is a struggle for survival as they face blackouts, water and fuel shortages: U.S. committing 'crime' against people of Cuba, says senior government official

"Officials say the energy blockade is inflicting harm on all parts of Cuban society, and residents — many of whom relied on a tourism industry that has evaporated — struggle to secure basics like food and water.

"I think it's something that is going to get worse," said González Barrios. "Sometimes, because of the power, we can't get water and people go crazy."
...

Cuba — which depends on oil for over 80 per cent of its power generation — has gone three months without receiving any petroleum shipments after Trump strong-armed Mexico and Venezuela to stop sending tankers. The tourism industry, a major source of revenue, is in shambles after many cruise ships and airlines suspended operations to the country due to the fuel shortage. In Old Havana, many of the palatial hotels sit mostly empty.
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Carlos Fernández de Cossío, Cuba's deputy minister of foreign affairs, said the population of Cuba is a victim of U.S. aggression. "The United States is acting like a rogue state, abusing its power," said Fernández de Cossío.

The U.S. energy blockade is inflicting harm on all parts of Cuban society, including the health care and education systems, its agricultural and industrial sector, its transportation networks, along with the ability of Cuban citizens to have a livelihood, he said. "This is a criminal activity against the people of Cuba," said Fernández de Cossío, during a news conference Friday."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/cuba-blackouts-oil-blockade-trump-9.7137288

 

[otto]

The US wants to occupy Cuba, steal the land and resources, and exploit the Cuban people - perhaps deport them to foreign prisons as illegal foreign criminals. In My Opinion.

"When President Trump floats the idea of a “friendly takeover of Cuba” or “taking Cuba in some form,” do keep in mind we did that already, back in 1898.

Soon after Spain withdrew its troops from Havana, U.S. forces began an occupation that would last three years under the guise of stability. Meanwhile the large sugar and tobacco plantations that once belonged to former colonizers were quickly being absorbed by American corporations — not by Cubans. That’s why, before leaving, the U.S. required an amendment be added to the country’s constitution making it legal for the U.S. to overrule domestic policies. A second U.S. occupation soon followed.
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The tension between the U.S. commerce-driven society and the sovereignty of our trading partners is what dictates our relationship with nations rich in natural resources. At one point during the 1950s, 90% of Cuba’s mines belonged to U.S. companies.
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The lack of consideration for the citizens of Cuba mirrored the negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase between the U.S. and France, which did not include input from the Indigenous people who were already living on the land."

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2026-03-21/trump-cuba-takeover-history

This is the US plan for Gaza. I'm going to assume that the US has the same plan for Cuba.

Leaked ‘Gaza Riviera’ plan dismissed as ‘insane’ attempt to cover ethnic cleansing

Prospectus proposes forced displacement of entire population and puts territory into US trusteeship

www.theguardian.com

 

[Lyanna]

 

[otto]

In my opinion, it's very problematic that the US appears to be a greedy, thieving, warmongering country. Any belief that the US promotes democracy is long forgotten. The US wants Cuba, Canada, Greenland, Venezuela, Iran and more. The reasons are obvious:

Cuba = beautiful beaches and tourism
Canada = natural resources, rare earth minerals, water, oil, fertilizer, Arctic shipping routes
Greenland = rare earth minerals, Arctic shipping routes
Venezuela = oil
Iran = oil

The US wants what other countries have, and chooses to use force to acquire those resources and assets. The US does not want to buy anything. The US wants to take through economic or military war.

The US wants to overthrow leadership in Iran and Cuba because the US believes that it will be easier to take what it wants with a weakened government.

"Cuba on Friday rejected any suggestion that its political system or the term of its president were subject to negotiation in talks with the United States, following reports that Washington sought to remove Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel from power.

“I can categorically confirm that ... the political system of Cuba is not up for negotiation, and of course neither the president nor the position of any official in Cuba is subject to negotiation with the United States,” Vice Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio told a press conference."​

March 20, 2026

Cuba refuses to negotiate president’s term in talks with United States

Cuba on Friday rejected any suggestion that its political system or the term of its president were subject to negotiation in talks with the United States, following reports that Washington sought to remove Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel from power.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[PatLaurel]

Cuba = beautiful beaches and tourism

Add rum and tobacco to tourism and it's approximately a $2.5 billion inflow. And, of course, there’s the question of low-cost labor. Would Cubans de a pie experience any real change, or would the situation simply return to what it was before the Revolution? My money is on the latter! MOO JMO

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Cuba on Saturday suffered its second nationwide power outage in less than a week, according to officials.

The Ministry of Energy and Mines said on X that another "total disconnection of the National Electric System has occurred. Protocols for restoration are already beginning to be implemented."

On Monday, officials in Cuba reported an island-wide blackout that affected some 11 million people. Humanitarian organizations began delivering aid to Cuba by air Friday, including solar panels, food and medicine. Saturday's outage was the fourth major blackout in Cuba over the past four months.

Protests have been reported in Cuba in the past week as frustration grows over prolonged blackouts and worsening living conditions across the island, CBS Miami reported.

Cuba suffers second nationwide power outage in less than a week

Humanitarian organizations began delivering aid to Cuba by air Friday, including solar panels, food and medicine.

www.cbsnews.com

People gather on a street during a blackout as Cuba's national electric grid collapsed,

Cuba's national electric grid collapsed on Saturday, the ‌country's grid operator said, leaving around 10 million people without power amid ⁠a U.S.-imposed oil blockade that has crippled the island's already obsolete generation system

Cuba's electric grid collapses, national electric union says

Cuba's national electric grid collapsed on Saturday, the ‌country's grid operator said, leaving around 10 million people without power amid ⁠a U.S.-imposed oil blockade that has crippled the island's already obsolete generation system.

www.reuters.com

 

[otto]

Cuba on Saturday suffered its second nationwide power outage in less than a week, according to officials.

The Ministry of Energy and Mines said on X that another "total disconnection of the National Electric System has occurred. Protocols for restoration are already beginning to be implemented."

On Monday, officials in Cuba reported an island-wide blackout that affected some 11 million people. Humanitarian organizations began delivering aid to Cuba by air Friday, including solar panels, food and medicine. Saturday's outage was the fourth major blackout in Cuba over the past four months.

Protests have been reported in Cuba in the past week as frustration grows over prolonged blackouts and worsening living conditions across the island, CBS Miami reported.

Cuba suffers second nationwide power outage in less than a week

Humanitarian organizations began delivering aid to Cuba by air Friday, including solar panels, food and medicine.

www.cbsnews.com

People gather on a street during a blackout as Cuba's national electric grid collapsed,

Cuba's national electric grid collapsed on Saturday, the ‌country's grid operator said, leaving around 10 million people without power amid ⁠a U.S.-imposed oil blockade that has crippled the island's already obsolete generation system

Cuba's electric grid collapses, national electric union says

Cuba's national electric grid collapsed on Saturday, the ‌country's grid operator said, leaving around 10 million people without power amid ⁠a U.S.-imposed oil blockade that has crippled the island's already obsolete generation system.

www.reuters.com

The US is a wealthy educated population. By all appearances, they couldn't care less when their elected governments initiate Economic Wars against other countries. The US is currently involved in two Economic Wars. One country is too powerful to suffer, but the other is like kicking a sick baby.

What are the people of the US thinking - that they're making themselves "GREAT" by starting a war against Cuba?

It's mind boggling ... In My Opinion.

 

[Lyanna]

‘Can’t live like this’: Cuba hit by second nationwide blackout in a week

Power grid collapses for a third time in March as the Cuban government battles a US-imposed oil blockade.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[Lyanna]

European groups join aid convoy to Cuba amid crippling oil blockade

Millions have been plunged into darkness in Cuba as the US's total blockade has meant no fuel shipments in three months.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The whole city is dark. No streetlights. No lights in the windows. No TV. No AC. Occasionally there’s a solar powered emergency light, or someone has a generator. But you fumble through many streets in Havana in almost perfect blackness, as if you have been blinded. You don’t know how much you need or want light until it vanishes.

Cuba’s electric grid has failed for the second time in less than a week, the result of a U.S. blockade on oil shipments. Even before the full collapse, there were persistent rolling blackouts across the country. Venezuela was the main supplier of oil to Cuba, but the U.S. invaded their country, killed 80 people, kidnapped their head of state, and prohibited the oil shipments. The U.S. has taken extraordinary measures to ensure the lights stay out in Cuba, threatening countries with tariffs if they do anything to relieve the humanitarian crisis

When the power went, I was watching a concert held at the Pabellon Cuba, a delightfully strange Brutalist outdoor event space. The place was packed with hundreds of ordinary Cubans enjoying a spring concert. Then the power went, the music stopped, it was over. You could feel the joy dying. Everyone is now pretty much used to having good things ruined by power cuts, but it’s still demoralizing when everyone is having fun and the plug is pulled.

People can live without music if they have to, I suppose. (The Cubans refuse to, though, and as I walked through the streets tonight I saw plenty of dancing in the dark.) What they cannot live without is healthcare, and the blackout is of course hitting hospitals hard. People aren’t able to get crucial surgeries, or even get to the hospital, which means Trump is simply killing the sickest Cubans. Late last night, a report came in that patients on ventilators at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital have died.

Turn the Lights Back On

Witnessing the cruel effects of the U.S. oil blockade against Cuba.

www.currentaffairs.org

 

[PatLaurel]

People aren’t able to get crucial surgeries, or even get to the hospital, which means Trump is simply killing the sickest Cubans. Late last night, a report came in that patients on ventilators at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital have died.

How do those responsible for this sleep at night? MOO JMO

 

[imstilla.grandma]

How do those responsible for this sleep at night? MOO JMO

Trump appears so greedy and into war and destruction. I think the man is very manic right now.

 

[otto]

Trump appears so greedy and into war and destruction. I think the man is very manic right now.

Absolutely! Anyone who starts a war by blowing up a school filled with little girls, ends war when his bones have the right "feeling", and celebrates death, is not okay. There is neither honour nor glory in laying siege against a tiny Island; causing widespread humanitarian suffering.

And to what end? To "take" or steal land, trample the rights of the Cuban people? What is Cuba to the US? Another Island resort? A place to get drunk on the beach? A real estate acquisition?

 

[otto]

"The US has imposed an oil blockade on Cuba.
...

Trucks are unable to drive, public transport is largely at a standstill. Consequently, the distribution of food and water is in jeopardy. The country is now in a deep crisis. ... hospitals appear to have power again via an emergency solution.

Several ships have departed from Mexico with emergency aid in recent weeks, but under pressure from the US, none of it contains fuel.

Heel Cuba weer in het donker: tweede landelijke stroomstoring deze week

Door de Amerikanse olieblokkade kan Cuba het verouderde energienetwerk maar moeilijk draaiende houden. Het land verkeert inmiddels in een diepe crisis.

nos.nl

 

[Lyanna]

https://www.itv.com/news/2026-03-22/cuba-hit-by-third-national-blackout-this-month-amid-us-energy-blockade