Cuba Power Outage [Reuters=Yonhap News]

Cuba, currently suffering from an acute energy crisis, experienced another total collapse of its National Electric System (SEN) on the 14th (local time). This marks the third such blackout this month alone.

According to Cuban state media Cubadebate and Reuters, the Electric Union of Cuba announced that the entire SEN suffered a complete power failure at approximately 11:05 a.m. that day.

This is the fifth nationwide blackout in Cuba this year, a period during which U.S. sanctions have intensified. It is also the 10th major blackout since late 2024.

Cuba suffered two nationwide grid collapses in mid-March of this year.

The situation has worsened significantly this month. Major blackouts occurred on the 6th and 10th, and while power was restored within one to two days each time, the entire grid has collapsed yet again. This makes it the third SEN collapse in less than ten days.

Cuba has been plagued by widespread power outages due to aging infrastructure and fuel shortages, but the situation has deteriorated further since January, when the U.S. government tightened its blockade.

This is because energy supplies from its ally, Venezuela, were cut off following the ouster of Nicolas Maduro, and the U.S. administration under Donald Trump threatened heavy tariffs and sanctions against countries providing oil to Cuba, effectively halting fuel shipments to the island.

As chronic power shortages and major blackouts persist, social tension within Cuba is rising. In areas such as the capital, Havana, sporadic protests have broken out, with residents expressing their anger over the recent blackouts by banging pots and pans to protest against the government.