Residents across several municipalities in Havana have taken to the streets for a fourth consecutive day, sparking widespread unrest as the Cuban capital grapples with its most severe energy collapse in decades. The protests, driven by rolling blackouts that exceed 25 hours daily in Havana and 50 hours in eastern provinces, have led to violent clashes between civilians and security forces.
The current wave of Havana power outages protests is the result of a total depletion of diesel and fuel oil reserves. Cuban authorities have attributed the crisis to an energy blockade imposed by the United States in January 2025, which has restricted the island’s ability to import the fuel necessary to power its aging electrical grid.
The Unión Eléctrica de Cuba (UNE) reported that power cuts reached 61% of the national system during the Thursday peak hour at 9:20 p.m. Projections released Friday indicated that blackouts were expected to cover 50% of the system throughout the day.
Civil unrest and police response
In the municipality of Guanabacoa, tensions peaked near the Palacio de los Matrimonios in La Hata. Activist Maritza Concepción reported that some areas have remained without electricity for more than 40 consecutive hours. According to Concepción, residents began facing off against police and security agents, leading to incidents where officers were targeted with stones.
Similar scenes unfolded in the Romerillo neighborhood of the Playa municipality. Resident Ana Castillo described a cycle of brief restorations followed by immediate failures; on one occasion, power returned Wednesday morning only to be cut again four hours later, with a subsequent restoration lasting only 25 minutes on Thursday. Castillo noted that residents engaged in “cacerolazos”—the traditional banging of pots and pans—before pushing back against police lines.
The unrest has also spread to La Güinera, a neighborhood known for its role in the July 11, 2021, demonstrations. Wilber Aguilar, father of political prisoner Walnier Aguilar, characterized the current atmosphere as one of chaos and desperation, stating that the outcome of the current volatility remains uncertain.
In Holguín, located in the east of the country, opposition figure Julio César Álvarez reported that power cuts have surpassed 50 continuous hours, with only four hours of electricity provided during that window. Álvarez described a massive police deployment in the city, noting that while the population appears quiet on the surface, neighborhood resentment is growing.
A total fuel depletion
The scale of the collapse was confirmed by Cuba’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy. Speaking Wednesday, the minister stated that there is absolutely nothing left in terms of diesel and fuel oil on the island, describing the situation as critical. He blamed the collapse on the Washington-led energy blockade, which threatens sanctions against any nation attempting to supply fuel to the island.
The crisis reached a breaking point following the loss of critical fuel shipments from Venezuela. This disruption followed a U.S. Military operation in Caracas that resulted in over 100 deaths and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Because Cuba produces only 40% of the fuel required to sustain its economy, the island relies on approximately eight tankers per month to maintain basic services.
The only shipment received in the last four months arrived on March 31 from Russia, consisting of 730,000 barrels of crude. Authorities indicated this was only enough to cover roughly two weeks of demand. While Moscow has announced the dispatch of a second vessel, its current location remains unknown.
| Metric | Thursday (Peak) | Friday (Projected) |
|---|---|---|
| System-wide Power Cuts | 61% | 50% |
| Havana Outage Duration | >25 Hours | Unstable |
| Eastern Region Outages | >50 Hours | Unstable |
Diplomatic tensions and security alerts
The U.S. Embassy in Havana issued a security alert following reports of aggressive police repression during the May 13 protests. In a social media statement, the embassy warned that the national electrical grid is increasingly unstable, which in turn compromises water supplies, food refrigeration, and telecommunications.
While the embassy noted that the demonstrations have not been directed at U.S. Citizens or interests, it advised Americans in Cuba to avoid large gatherings and to conserve food, water, fuel, and mobile phone battery life.
On the international stage, Russian Foreign Minister Serguéi Lavrov met with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla during the BRICS summit in New Delhi. The two officials reaffirmed their opposition to unilateral sanctions. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Moscow is prepared to provide political, diplomatic, and financial support to help Havana seek the removal of the U.S. Commercial and financial blockade, as well as Cuba’s removal from the state sponsors of terrorism list.
Despite the public hostility between Washington and Havana, the Director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, visited Cuba on Thursday to meet with Cuban counterparts. Both governments acknowledged that conversations are ongoing, even as the humanitarian situation on the ground deteriorates.
Humanitarian impact on the ground
For ordinary citizens, the energy collapse has triggered a cascading series of economic hardships. In Old Havana, 83-year-old retiree Eduardo del Castillo described his daily existence as increasingly challenging due to the lack of basic utilities.
The crisis has also paralyzed the transportation sector. José Antonio Suárez, a 66-year-old mechanic, noted that a tremendous fuel deficit has left many vehicles stationary. This shortage, coupled with rising inflation and a surge in the value of the U.S. Dollar, has eroded the purchasing power of the average Cuban.
The next critical checkpoint for the crisis will be the arrival—or failure to arrive—of the second Russian oil tanker, which remains the island’s primary hope for stabilizing the power grid. Official updates on fuel reserves are expected from the Ministry of Energy and Mines following the conclusion of the BRICS diplomatic consultations.
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