‘Can’t live like this’: Cuba hit by second nationwide blackout in a week

Al Jazeera Economic ImpactNews ReportEN 2 min read 100% complete by By AFP and APMarch 22, 2026 at 08:57 AM

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AI Summary

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Cuba experienced its second nationwide blackout in less than a week on Saturday, and the third in March, after a generating unit failed at the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant. The Cuban Electric Union attributed the cascading failure to this unexpected event. The blackouts, impacting the island's 9.6 million residents, have left streets dark and disrupted daily life, with some areas experiencing outages of up to 15 hours. Authorities are working to restore power, prioritizing vital centers like hospitals. The Cuban government cites a US-imposed energy blockade as a contributing factor to the strained power network.

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Key Claims (5)

AI-Extracted

‘You can’t live like this’

quote — Nilo Lopez, a 36-year-old taxi driver100% confidence

The blackout was caused by an unexpected failure of a generating unit at the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant.

factual — Energy Ministry100% confidence

The Cuban Electric Union announced a total blackout across the island on Saturday.

factual — Cuban Electric Union100% confidence

Cuba has been plunged into darkness for the second time in less than a week after its national power network failed again.

factual100% confidence

Cubans face daily blackouts of up to 15 hours in Havana.

factual90% confidence

Claims are automatically extracted and should be independently verified. Attribution indicates the stated source of the claim.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Camaguey 30% Nilo Lopez 30% Donald Trump 30% Nuevitas thermoelectric plant 40% Ministry of Energy and Mines ×250% Havana ×260% Cuban Electric Union 60% United States 70% Cuba ×790%

Keywords

nationwide blackout 100% power grid collapse 80% energy blockade 70% us-imposed oil blockade 70% cuban electric union 60% power outage 60% thermoelectric plant 50% electricity 40%