Cuba’s power grid collapses and plunges eastern provinces into a major blackout

People look at a barricade set up by residents protesting against prolonged power outages in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A woman walks in front of a barricade set up by residents protesting against prolonged power outages in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

People look at a barricade set up by residents protesting against prolonged power outages in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba’s national energy grid suffered a major failure early Thursday that severed power to the island’s eastern provinces, authorities said, as residents in the capital Havana faced ongoing blackouts.

Cuba’s aging power grid has eroded in recent years as it faces a prolonged economic crisis, recently made worse by a U.S. energy blockade of the island, where daily life can be an ordeal for many of the country’s 10 million people.