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Snapshot 4:Wed, Sep 10, 2025 8:37:22 PM GMT last edited by SofiaLanfri

Cuba Experiences New Nationwide Blackout

Cuba Experiences New Nationwide Blackout

Cuba Experiences New Nationwide Blackout
Above: Traffic lights turned off in Havana during a total blackout in Cuba on Sept. 10, 2025. Image credit: Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin


Cuba's blackouts stem from decades of communist central planning failures that have created an inefficient, crumbling electrical system. Central planners cannot produce reliable electricity because they lack market incentives and competition that drive innovation and proper resource allocation. The government's cash-strapped system diverts scarce resources to disaster relief instead of long-term infrastructure investment, creating a vicious cycle of neglect and failure.

Cuba's energy crisis results directly from U.S. sanctions and the economic embargo that prevent Cubait from obtaining foreign currency needed to buy fuel and repair aging power plants. These restrictive policies constitute economic warfare that has caused suffering for millions of Cubans by blocking access to essential resources. U.S. sanctions have made it impossible for Cuba to modernize its electrical infrastructure despite the country's efforts to overcome these external obstacles.

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 7.4.1

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 7.4.1