Cuba’s power grid is collapsing, causing massive blackouts in the eastern provinces

Cuba’s national power station suffered a major failure early Thursday that knocked out power to the island’s eastern provinces, authorities said, as residents in the capital Havana faced ongoing power outages. The failure occurred when the American delegation visited Cuba on Thursday and met with Cuban government officials.

Cuba’s aging electricity grid has eroded in recent years as it faces a protracted economic crisis, recently made worse. US blockade of the islandwhere daily life can be a trial for many of the country’s ten million people.

The state-run Electric Union said the collapse knocked out power in all eastern states from Guantánamo to Ciego de Ávila, saying workers were working to restore power, but did not say how long it would take.

The previous day, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel described the power situation as “tense” after the handover of power. the oil was delivered by a Russian ship in late March it ended. Cuba produces less than 40% of the fuel it needs to develop its economy.

Russia announced plans to send a second fuel tanker to Cuba in early April. According to Russian news reports, the oil tanker left the Russian Baltic port of Vysotsk in January, but got stuck in the same place in the Atlantic Ocean a few weeks ago.

According to the Reuters news agency, Cuban Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said Wednesday in state media that the island “has absolutely no gasoline, and absolutely no diesel…We have no reserves.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday during a press conference that Mexico has also sent a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba, although she told reporters that because Russia is sending oil, “We are focusing our efforts on providing other types of aid.”

He criticized the US embargo, saying, “We do not agree with it. We have never agreed with it, since it was first imposed in 1962. Therefore, we will continue to send aid to help people in need.”

The blackout in Havana, where authorities have been restoring power, extended to 24 hours in a row on Thursday.

On Wednesday evening, Associated Press reporters saw residents in many areas banging pots and pans and setting trash cans on fire to protest the power outage. Hours later, Minister of Energy and Mines Vicente de la O Levy appeared on Cuban television describing the energy situation as “critical.”

The Cuban government said on social media that an American delegation including CIA Director John Ratcliff visited the island on Thursday and held a meeting with the Cuban interior ministry.

“The materials provided by the Cuban side and the exchanges held with the American delegation made it possible to clearly demonstrate that Cuba is not a threat to the security of the United States, and there are no valid reasons to include it in the list of countries, which are suspected of sponsoring terrorism,” the Cuban government wrote.

The State Department said Thursday that it has provided “$100 million in aid to the people of Cuba to be distributed in cooperation with the Catholic Church and other credible private organizations.”

“The decision rests with the Cuban government to accept our assistance or deny critical life-saving assistance and ultimately hold the Cuban people accountable for standing in the way of critical aid,” the State Department said.

Cuba’s ambassador to the US on Thursday confirmed that the US has officially provided $100 million in aid, but said “it is not clear whether this aid will be in cash or in kind, and whether it will be directed to the urgent needs of the people at this time, such as fuel, food, and medicine.”

“Even looking at the inconsistency of this apparent generosity from a group that punishes the Cuban people for participating in the economic war, the Cuban government, as usual, does not refuse aid given to other countries in good faith and with true intentions of cooperation, whether it is two countries or many countries,” said the ambassador.

The embassy said it hoped the aid would be “free from political control,” and added, “The best aid the US government can provide to the honorable people of Cuba at this time – and at any time – is to reduce the energy, economic, commercial, and financial embargo.”

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel similarly wrote on social media, “If there is a real determination on the part of the United States government to provide aid in the amounts it announces and in full compliance with internationally recognized humanitarian aid procedures, you will not encounter obstacles or ingratitude from Cuba.”

“The damage can be mitigated in a simple and quick way by lifting or easing the blockade,” he added.

Cuba’s electricity supply is collapsing, but the government has also threatened to lift US sanctions after President Trump in January warned of tariffs on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba. The Trump administration wanted Cuba release the political prisoners and move towards political and economic liberalization to lift sanctions.

Power outages led to reduced working hours and food spoilage as freezers stopped working. In some cases, hospitals have canceled surgeries.