The United States Embassy in Havana issued an official security alert this Friday for all American citizens in Cuba or with plans to travel to the country, following the total collapse of the national power grid that left the island without electricity starting at 1:57 p.m. (Eastern Time).
The diplomatic mission warned that "the cause of the collapse is under investigation and the estimated time for service restoration is unknown," and additionally alerted about widespread disruptions in mobile phone and internet services throughout Cuban territory.
The collapse was triggered by the successive disconnection of two 220 kV transmission lines: first the Matanzas-Cienfuegos line and then the Matanzas-Santa Clara line, which caused a cascading disconnection of the entire network.
The Electric Union (UNE) mentioned "unstable weather conditions" as a possible factor, although it did not provide a definitive explanation.
This is the eighth total collapse of the National Electric System (SEN) recorded so far in 2026, according to our own count, or the seventh according to other international sources.
The day on Friday was already critical before the collapse: the available generation barely reached 1,113 MW against a predicted demand of 3,210 MW, with a projected maximum impact of 2,007 MW.
The structural deficit has exceeded 2,000 MW on multiple days in September, reaching 2,396 MW on the 5th of this month.
The embassy described the situation in strong terms: "The Cuban electrical grid is becoming increasingly unstable, and multiple blackouts have been reported nationwide in recent months. The electrical system remains vulnerable, experiencing additional outages—both scheduled and unforeseen—more frequently and for longer durations."
This is not the first time that the U.S. diplomatic mission has issued this type of alert. Throughout 2026, it has published similar alerts in February, March, May, July, and August, each time the electrical system experienced a total failure. This practice has become a pattern due to the recurrence of widespread blackouts.
In light of the emergency, the embassy advised U.S. citizens to keep their phones and portable chargers charged, have flashlights with spare batteries, stock up on non-perishable food and water, andPrepare alternative methods for medical needs that rely on electricity or refrigeration.
The humanitarian impact of the electrical crisis goes beyond day-to-day inconveniences.
The UN warned on September 15 that power outages in Cuba threaten the vaccination of 70,000 children, a warning that illustrates the severity of a crisis that the Cuban regime has failed to reverse after years of deterioration of its thermal power infrastructure, chronic fuel shortages, and lack of maintenance.
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