Cuba plunged into an unprecedented blackout after its entire electrical grid suddenly suffered a total collapse on Monday, briefly leaving roughly 10 million residents in total darkness. 

“At 1:54 p.m. local time, there was a disconnection of the national electrical grid resulting in a complete power outage across Cuba which includes the Havana metropolitan area,” the U.S. Embassy in Cuba said. 

The nationwide outage comes just two days after a large crowd of protesters, fed up with the island’s energy crisis, were caught on camera attacking a local Communist Party headquarters in Cuba, ransacking the building and attempting to set it on fire.

Efforts to restore electricity are currently underway across the island, with reports indicating that power is slowly returning to some areas.

RUSSIAN ‘DARK FLEET’ TANKER BELIEVED TO BE DELIVERING OIL TO CUBA, DETECTED OFF US COAST AMID TRUMP BAN

“The causes are being investigated and protocols for restoration are beginning to be activated,” the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Cuba said Monday afternoon, referring to the island’s disrupted National Electrical System of Cuba. 

Cuba’s electrical grid has grown increasingly unstable over the years due to aging infrastructure, fuel shortages, and economic restrictions that have limited the country’s access to energy resources – including Washington’s long‑standing oil embargo and recent U.S. actions that disrupted Venezuelan fuel shipments, a key source of the nation’s energy.

Power outages have become a frequent occurrence across the country, disrupting water supply, refrigeration and communications.

“Officials in the US gov must be feeling very happy by the harm caused to every Cuban family,” Cuban Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Carlos F. de Cossio said in response to Monday’s blackout. 

MILLIONS LOSE POWER ACROSS CUBA AS TRUMP SANCTIONS CONTINUE TO FUEL ONGOING ENERGY CRISIS

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Friday that no fuel has entered the country for the past three months. Since then, electricity generation has relied heavily on a “considerable contribution from renewable energy sources.”

The total collapse of the power grid came just as officials announced updates to their solar panel project in Villa Clara, describing it as a “national security necessity” amid ongoing restrictions on fossil fuel imports under the Trump administration.

“Amid a context of severe energy constraints and a recurring economic lockdown, #Cuba takes another firm step towards electric sovereignty,” the Villa Clara Electric Company said Monday morning. 

“This connection comes at a critical time: Washington maintains severe restrictions on our country’s access to fossil fuels, funding and technology. Betting on renewables isn’t just environmental — it’s a national security necessity.”

As the island continues to face rolling power outages, residents have been urged to brace for significant disruption and unplug all nonessential equipment, “leaving only essential devices powered on until service stability is restored,” the Villa Clara Electric Company said.

Last Saturday, in a rare display of public dissent driven by frustration over widespread blackouts, anti-government protesters in Cuba reportedly targeted a Communist Party office by hurling rocks, shouting “liberty” and igniting large fires at the scene.  

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The rally, caught on video, began peacefully in the city of Morón late Friday but escalated into violence within hours, Reuters reported, citing local sources.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Published on 16/03/2026 – 19:34 GMT+1•Updated
21:18

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said on Monday there was “no appetite” to extend the mandate of the EU’s naval mission Aspides into the Strait of Hormuz despite growing calls for Europe to help secure the waterway and prevent major disruptions to global oil supplies.

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“The discussion was that it (Aspides) should be strengthened because it does not have too many naval assets,” Kallas told reporters at a press conference following a gathering of foreign ministers in Brussels. “But the discussion on whether we are also extending this mandate to cover the strait of Hormuz (…) there was no appetite from the member states to do that.”

“Nobody wants to go actively in this war,” she added.

Kallas spoke after the EU’s 27 foreign affairs ministers gathered in Brussels to discuss how Europe should respond to the impact of the war with Iran, which has triggered what analysts describe as the largest disruption to global oil supplies in history and sent oil prices above $100 a barrel.

Her remarks also came a day after US president Donald Trump increased pressure on Europe to help protect the Strait of Hormuz, warning that NATO faces a “very bad” future if its members fail to come to Washington’s aid.

Ministers discussed in particular whether to strengthen Aspides, which was established in February 2024 as a defensive operation following repeated attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis on international shipping.

Aspides is aimed at protecting vessels, safeguarding freedom of navigation and monitor the maritime situation in a vast area comprising of the Strait of Hormuz but also the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf.

But on Monday, Trump’s appeal produced little results as EU countries were not eager to expand the remit of Aspides.

Going into the meeting, German foreign affairs minister Johann Wadephul ruled out any German participation into the operation, while his Romanian counterpart Oana-Silvia Toiu suggested that Bucharest doesn’t want to get involved in the Aspides mission, as the country needs to keep its focus on its naval capabilities in the Black Sea.

Luxembourg’s foreign minister Xavier Bettel echoed some of those reservations and stressed that the EU is not directly involved in the war.

“With satellites, with communications, we are very happy to be useful but don’t ask with troops and machines,” he told reporters ahead of the Foreign affairs Council.

Historical drama “The King’s Warden” continued its exceptional run at the South Korean box office, crossing the 13 million admissions threshold during the weekend of Mar. 13–15.

According to data from KOBIS, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council, the film maintained a commanding 76.36% revenue share, holding the top spot for its sixth consecutive weekend.

“The King’s Warden” earned $8.2 million from 1,253,733 admissions over the weekend. Directed by Jang Hang-jun and starring Yoo Hae-jin and Park Ji-hoon, the film centers on a village chief protecting a deposed teenage king during the 15th century. Since its Feb. 4 debut, the film has amassed a massive cumulative gross of $86.8 million from 13,467,811 admissions, moving further up the list of South Korea’s all-time highest-grossing films.

Pixar’s “Hoppers” held steady in second place, earning $1.1 million from 173,213 admissions. The animated feature has reached a cumulative gross of $3.5 million since its Mar. 4 launch.

The local horror-mystery “Samakdo” debuted in third place, earning $246,268 over the weekend. Directed by Chae Ki-jun and starring Jo Yoon-seo and Kwak Si-yang, the film follows an investigative reporting team that uncovers the existence of absolute evil while looking into a mystery believed to have disappeared during the Japanese colonial era. Since its opening on Mar. 11, the film has earned $354,305.

In fourth place, Brad Pitt racing drama “F1” saw a re-entry into the top five following a re-release. The film added $322,138 over the weekend, bringing its South Korean lifetime total to $37.1 million from over 5.2 million admissions.

The espionage thriller “Humint” took fifth place, earning $109,668. Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan and starring Zo In-sung and Park Jeong-min, the film has now reached a cumulative gross of $13.2 million from nearly 2 million admissions.

The Japanese anime film “Attack on Titan The Movie : The Last Attack” re-entered the charts in sixth place with $92,656. Directed by Hayashi Yuichiro, the film provides a cinematic conclusion to the series. Its cumulative total in South Korea now stands at $6.6 million.

A re-release of Joe Wright’s 2005 film “Pride & Prejudice” took seventh place, earning $57,934.

Rounding out the top 10 were the musical drama “Choir of God” in eighth place with $40,397 (total $9.1 million), the local comedy-drama “Mad Dance Office” in ninth with $32,424 (total $254,019), and the Oscar-winning Norwegian drama “Sentimental Value” in tenth with $37,966 (total $394,081).

The overall market collective gross for the weekend was $10.8 million, down from last week’s $14.2 million.