Story perspectives

Cuba Blackout Hits 10 Million as Trump Oil Blockade Strains Grid

8/3/2026

Summary

Story summary

Union Electrica de Cuba (UEC) said the national grid collapsed late on Sunday, leaving about 10 million people without power.
President Donald Trump imposed an oil blockade after the January 3 ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, halting fuel shipments from Venezuela and Mexico, which has strained Cuba’s aging power system.
Havana recently approved its first foreign-backed fuel import project and let nearly 200 Cuban firms join wholesale fuel distribution.

History

Historical Context

The 1973 OAPEC oil embargo, launched in October 1973, forced cuts to U.S. shipments and drove world oil prices from about $3 to nearly $12 per barrel—a 300 % jump that crippled economies across the Americas. Decades later, Union Electrica de Cuba reports a grid collapse affecting ten million people after recent fuel shortages, echoing how external oil restrictions repeatedly strain Cuba’s aging system.

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Story summary

Union Electrica de Cuba (UEC) said the national grid collapsed late on Sunday, leaving about 10 million people without power.
President Donald Trump imposed an oil blockade after the January 3 ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, halting fuel shipments from Venezuela and Mexico, which has strained Cuba’s aging power system.
Havana recently approved its first foreign-backed fuel import project and let nearly 200 Cuban firms join wholesale fuel distribution.

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