Cuba Plunged Into Islandwide Blackout As Power Crisis Worsens: In Photos
Officials in Cuba reported an islandwide blackout Monday as deepening energy and economic crises continue to strain a crumbling power grid. It marked the third major outage in four months. A separate blackout just over a week ago affected western Cuba, leaving millions without electricity. President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned Friday that the island has gone more than three months without oil shipments, relying instead on solar power, natural gas and aging thermoelectric plants. Cuba has blamed the crisis on a U.S. energy blockade, while U.S. President Donald Trump warned in January of tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to the island.
A man enters his building during a blackout in Havana, Monday, March 16, 2026. | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa
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People watch the sunset from the Malecón during a blackout in Havana, Monday, March 16, 2026. | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa
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A street vendor tends to a customer on the Malecón during a blackout in Havana, Monday, March 16, 2026. | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa
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Street vendors chat during a blackout in Havana, Monday, March 16, 2026. | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa
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Street vendors chat on the Malecón during a blackout in Havana, Monday, March 16, 2026. | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa
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People walk outside during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, Monday, March 16, 2026. | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa
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A man finishes putting fuel in his car's tank, located in the back of the car, during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, Monday, March 16, 2026. | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa
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Hairdressers style the hair of their clients in the open air during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, Thursday, March 5, 2026. | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa
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A vehicle drives down a street during a blackout in Havana, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa
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A man gives a girl a spoonful of soup on a street during a blackout in Havana, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa
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A vehicle drives down a street during a blackout in Havana, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa