The blackout, which in some places lasted for more than three days, sparked new protests in Havana
14ymedio, Madrid, August 4, 2026 / Cuba’s Electric Union (UNE) finally reported this Tuesday that the National Electric System (SEN) was restored at 11:35 a.m., following the double blackout that the island suffered over the past three days. According to the state-owned company, the commissioning of Unit 8 at the Máximo Gómez Thermoelectric Power Plant allowed for the restoration of the grid’s interconnection.
The announcement came after several hours of work to gradually restore the electrical grid during the early morning hours of Tuesday. Hours before the reconnection of the National Electric System (SEN), the National Electric Union (UNE) had reported that the national system was already connected from Pinar del Río to Holguín, while work continued to bring back power to the eastern provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Granma.
In Havana, the recovery was progressing partially. The company reported that 124 of the capital’s 286 distribution circuits had electricity service, benefiting 42% of the city’s population. Power had also been restored to 43 out of 45 hospitals and to 9 out of 18 water pumping systems.
“There’s been no electricity for three days, there’s nothing, and no leader has arrived.”
But UNE’s announcement didn’t match the experience of its customers. On social media, many users complained that they were still experiencing power outages lasting between 50 and 72 hours. The state-owned company had to add a clarification to its official reports: “Remember that you may be affected by other causes even if your circuit has been restored. Of the restored circuits, 56 are affected by power shortages and 9 by malfunctions.”
The blackout, which in some areas lasted for more than three days, sparked new protests, according to testimonies gathered by Martí Noticias. On Inquisidor Street, between Luz and Acosta, in the Belén neighborhood of Old Havana, residents staged a pot-banging protest. “There’s been no electricity for three days, nothing, and no one from the government has come,” said one resident. On Obispo Street, in the same municipality, further protests were reported, with residents banging pots and pans after 48 hours of blackout.
The fact that the National Electric System (SEN) has been restored does not mean that Cubans will once again have normal electricity service. In Havana, residents are surviving on intermittent power outages lasting less than three hours and blackouts that can last up to 20 hours at a time. In the provinces, the situation is even more critical.
The fact that the National Electric System (SEN) has been restored does not mean that Cubans will once again have normal electricity service.
The UNE attributed the SEN relapse that occurred on Monday afternoon to “adverse weather events” that affected the electrical grid and directly impacted the generating units that had already been synchronized to the system.
The latest nationwide blackout once again highlights the fragility of Cuba’s electrical system. In March, Cuba suffered two nationwide blackouts in less than a week, and in July, three more total blackouts occurred in just eight days.
The Cuban government again attributed the situation to the US embargo. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez stated on social media that the electrical grid outages are “direct consequences of the genocidal US blockade against Cuba,” and pointed out that the sanctions hinder the arrival of parts, international cooperation, and access to financing.
But the energy crisis was already severe before the new US restrictions against Cuba. The island has suffered twelve nationwide blackouts in two years due to a combination of factors, including the obsolescence of its electrical system, lack of maintenance, and fuel shortages. Problems that had accumulated over years worsened in 2016 with the oil embargo that the US government imposed on the Cuban regime in January, which has completely cut off crude oil imports.
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