Power on the way back to crisis-stricken Cuba

TT

Published 2026-03-22 20.20

           

          Residents in Havana carry buckets of drinking water on Sunday, as power slowly began to return to            the Cuban capital. Photo: Ramon Espinosa/AP/TT

Cuban authorities are struggling to restore electricity to the island after the second nationwide blackout in a week.

More than 70,000 electricity customers in Havana, including five hospitals, are reported to have had their power restored on Sunday. In addition, local power supply systems have been connected to provide electricity to particularly important infrastructure in the capital and in provinces such as Matanzas and Holguín.

After the latest major blackout on Monday, it took several days to restore power.

The disruptions come after US President Donald Trump put heavy pressure on the communist-ruled island by escalating the long-standing US trade embargo with an oil blockade. He has also threatened to “take” Cuba.

Meanwhile, aid shipments from a range of organisations from over 30 countries began arriving over the weekend.