As blackouts stretch for days, life in Cuba revolves around small bursts of electricity
Residents plan meals, chores and sleep around unpredictable outages that can last 12 hours, 30 hours or longer, officials and residents said.
- Havana residents face unpredictable, days-long blackouts, often receiving only 20-minute bursts of electricity that sometimes arrive at 3 a.m. as the island's energy grid collapses.
- Endemic blackouts worsened five years ago due to a crumbling energy grid and failed economic reforms; President Donald Trump's administration threatened tariffs on oil suppliers, straining Cuba's resources further.
- Residents in several municipalities staged neighborhood protests after blackouts lasted more than 48 hours, while families struggle as medicine shortages worsen and food spoils in refrigerators without power.
- The systemic breakdown has severely impacted tourism, leaving 25,000 hospitality jobs vacant; life for Cubans has become "difficult, harsh and sad," Lianet Barroso said.
- Hunger and misery on the island create a "time bomb" as the government remains entrenched in rhetoric; Cuba requires urgent, pragmatic reforms and democratic freedoms to avert further exodus.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Cuba: No power, no fuel, no internet
Cuba's energy crisis is colliding with economic collapse, as Washington ramps up sanctions on the island. Caught between American pressure and crisis at home, Cubans are struggling just to get through the day. A France24 report from Havana.
Cuba has two total blackouts in less than 24 hours In Cuba, living without light is no longer an exception and has become part of the routine. With ever more frequent and prolonged blackouts, Cubans have had to adapt the day-to-day to survive. Banal tasks, such as cooking, conserving food and keeping the mobile phone loaded, have turned into great challenges, forcing residents to improvise solutions to cross hours — and sometimes days — without …
Cubans forced to adapt to life without electricity as oil blockade drags on
Blackouts are nothing new in Cuba but since US President Donald Trump imposed an oil blockade in January, they can last for days. Previously blackouts lasted a few hours and were often scheduled. Now residents have to plan their lives around short and unpredictable bursts of electricity.
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