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Cuba Hit by Second Island-Wide Blackout in a Week Amid Fuel Blockade

Cuba suffered its second island-wide blackout in a week as US President Donald Trump's de facto oil blockade places growing strain on the island's power grid, according to Al Jazeera.

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Key facts

  • Cuba experienced its second island-wide blackout within a week.
  • US President Donald Trump has placed the island under a de facto oil blockade, according to Al Jazeera.
  • The blockade is straining Cuba's power grid.
  • The situation was reported by Al Jazeera on July 10, 2026.

Cuba has been plunged into darkness by its second island-wide blackout in the space of a week, according to Al Jazeera. The repeated grid failures point to mounting pressure on the country’s electricity infrastructure.

Al Jazeera reports that US President Donald Trump has placed the Caribbean island under a de facto oil blockade. The measure has restricted the flow of fuel needed to keep Cuba’s power stations operating.

The blockade is straining Cuba’s power grid, according to the outlet. With limited fuel supplies, the island’s generating capacity has come under significant stress, contributing to the successive nationwide outages.

The back-to-back blackouts underscore the vulnerability of Cuba’s energy system when access to imported oil is curtailed. A second failure so soon after the first suggests the grid has little margin to absorb further disruption.

Al Jazeera published its report on July 10, 2026. Further details on the duration of the outages and the government’s response were not provided in the available source material.

Why it matters

Island-wide blackouts disrupt daily life, essential services and the economy for millions of Cubans. The link to a US fuel blockade highlights how geopolitical measures can directly affect a nation's basic infrastructure and its population.

Frequently asked questions

What caused Cuba's latest blackout?

According to Al Jazeera, a de facto oil blockade placed on the island by US President Donald Trump is straining Cuba's power grid, contributing to the outages.

How many blackouts has Cuba had recently?

Al Jazeera reports that this is Cuba's second island-wide blackout within a week.

Who imposed the fuel blockade on Cuba?

Al Jazeera attributes the de facto oil blockade to US President Donald Trump.

Timeline

  1. Cuba suffers second island-wide blackout in a week amid Trump fuel blockade

    Al Jazeera: US President Donald Trump has placed the Caribbean island under a de facto oil blockade, straining its power grid.

Sources

This article was generated with AI assistance, checked against the listed sources, and cleared by an independent AI editorial review.