Cuba is reportedly experiencing a nationwide blackout on Monday amid widespread unrest due to dissatisfaction with the Communist regime and economic woes.
This comes as the Trump administration is engaged in secret talks with the regime.
From The Associated Press:
Officials in Cuba reported an island-wide blackout Monday in the country of some 11 million people as its energy and economic crises deepen. Cuba has blamed its woes on a U.S. energy blockade after President Donald Trump in January warned of tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to it.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines on X noted a “complete disconnection” of the country’s electrical system and said it was investigating.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Friday said the island had not received oil shipments in more than three months and was operating on solar power, natural gas and thermoelectric plants, and the government has had to postpone surgeries for tens of thousands of people.
A massive outage over a week ago affected the island’s west, leaving millions without power.
Critical oil shipments from Venezuela were halted after the U.S. attacked the South American country in early January and arrested its then-president, Nicolás Maduro.
While Cuba produces 40% of its petroleum and has been generating its own power, it hasn’t been sufficient to meet demand as its electric grid continues to crumble.
Protesters in Cuba hurled rocks at a Communist Party office in Morón as a fire roared in front of the building. The public outburst comes amid ongoing blackouts exacerbated by a U.S. oil blockade. pic.twitter.com/WjHoHi1Ffm
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 14, 2026
Cuba is facing growing unrest spreading across the island in response to rampant power outages, food shortages, and a deepening economic crisis. Violent demonstrations have broken out in cities such as Morón where crowds of people attacked and set fire to a local Communist Party office.
Video footage going viral on social media show protesters chanting slogans and banging pots in the streets. The protests surged as the U.S. has been blocking oil shipments to the island.
From the New York Times:
The protesters appeared in the streets of Morón, a city in central Cuba, late Friday evening. What began as a peaceful gathering, Cuban state media reported, escalated when a group of people threw stones at the local headquarters of the Communist Party, the country’s sole ruling political force. Then they broke into the building, dragged some furniture outside and set it alight.
Videos circulating on social media showed the group approaching the building with flaming objects and throwing them inside. “Burn it all down!” one man said. Others joined him, shouting, “Freedom! Freedom!” A New York Times analysis of the footage confirmed its authenticity and found the videos were most likely filmed overnight Friday into Saturday.
In one of the videos, what sounds like a gunshot can be heard. “They got him,” a man said as the camera shows a person limping and then collapsing before people gather around, calling for help. It is not clear from the video if the man was actually shot.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed in a recent national address that his regime has been in contact with U.S. officials while criticizing the fuel blockade that has left the country with widespread blackouts and shortages.
The White House said the talks are still in the early stages, but President Donald Trump believes they can reach a deal “very easily” if Cuba’s regime agrees to U.S. demands.