Cuba is going dark under US pressure. How the crisis unfolded and why its troubles are far from over

Cuba is going dark under US pressure. How the crisis unfolded and why its troubles are far from over

Nearly three months into a U.S.-imposed oil blockade, Cuba’s energy situation has deteriorated significantly, disrupting daily life across the country. Streets in Havana are now littered with waste, hospital operations are scaled back, and residents rely on wood fires for heating. Frequent blackouts have become a norm, with President Miguel Díaz-Canel stating that solutions are being pursued but the challenges are substantial.

Since the 1960s, the U.S. has enforced an economic embargo on Cuba, costing the nation “trillions of dollars” and undermining its “overall human development,” as noted in a U.N. report. Despite global calls to ease sanctions, the U.S. has intensified pressure on the communist-run island. In early January, the U.S. disrupted Cuba’s primary oil source, Venezuela, following a military operation that captured the country’s leader. This action led to a halt in oil shipments from Venezuela’s interim government.

Subsequent months saw further losses in oil supply. Mexico and other suppliers paused deliveries after the U.S. threatened additional tariffs, citing Havana’s “extraordinary threat” due to its alliances with “hostile countries and malign actors.” The claim, which Cuba denies, has left the nation grappling with a deepening energy shortfall. Oil is critical for both transportation and electricity generation, exacerbating an existing crisis. Díaz-Canel reported that power outages, already frequent, have worsened since the blockade began.

Energy shortages are now impacting more than just lights and vehicles. Antonio Rodríguez Rodríguez, head of Cuba’s National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INRH), highlighted disruptions in water supply. The agency is exploring alternatives like solar panels to lessen reliance on the electrical grid. Meanwhile, the Cuban government claims it is boosting domestic oil production to alleviate the problem.

“The humanitarian situation in Cuba was already extremely fragile, but the electricity crisis is pushing many essential services to the limit,” said Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. “People don’t have reliable access to drinking water, hospitals can’t operate safely, basic goods are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, and garbage is piling up in the streets.”

Public unrest has emerged as a result. On March 7, Havana residents protested by drumming pots and pans and building bonfires. A week later, students at the University of Havana gathered peacefully to demand better conditions, citing power and internet outages as barriers to their studies. Another demonstration erupted in Morón, where participants damaged the local Communist Party headquarters. Five arrests were reported, linking the protest to energy and food shortages.