Cuba grid collapses fourth time

Cuba's national electrical grid collapsed on July 10, 2026, marking the second total nationwide outage in a week and the fourth so far in 2026. The collapse is attributed to severe fuel shortages exacerbated by a U.S. oil blockade imposed after the U.S. deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026. Venezuela was Cuba's primary fuel supplier, and subsequent U.S. pressure led Mexico to halt oil shipments to the island. The chronic power failures have fueled rising social tensions, sparking scattered pot-banging protests in Havana. Cuba's government blames the decades-old U.S. trade embargo, while Washington attributes the blackouts to mismanagement of Cuba's state-run economy. During a UN General Assembly debate, U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz blamed Havana, while most countries called for ending the blockade. Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla condemned the U.S. measures as collective punishment.