Overview
- The energy ministry and grid operator reported a complete disconnection of the national system on Monday, leaving millions without electricity as crews began staged restarts.
- By Tuesday morning, authorities said roughly two-thirds of the country had service restored, prioritizing hospitals and limited circuits in parts of Havana that remain vulnerable to failure.
- Officials attribute the crisis to severe fuel scarcity after Venezuelan shipments stopped in January and the U.S. warned tariffs on third‑country suppliers, exposing an aging grid’s weaknesses.
- Widespread hardship has fueled protests and arrests, including vandalism of a Communist Party office in Morón, and has forced gasoline rationing, postponed surgeries and curtailed flights.
- Havana has opened talks with Washington and signaled openness to diaspora investment as President Trump intensified pressure, saying he would “take” Cuba and linking relief to political concessions.