The U.S. Embassy in Havana issued a security alert on Monday to U.S. citizens in Cuba and those planning to travel to the island after a complete collapse of the National Electric System (SEN) that left the country without power on Sunday, August 2, at 10:43 PM (local time). The embassy shared the advisory on its official Facebook and X accounts.
“According to media reports from the Cuban regime, the cause of the outage and the estimated time for service restoration are unknown. All U.S. citizens currently in Cuba or planning to travel to the island should stay informed and plan their trips accordingly. Disruptions in mobile phone and internet service have been reported,” the U.S. diplomatic mission warned, referring to the blackout.
The embassy said the situation reflects growing instability in Cuba’s power network. “The Cuban electric grid is increasingly unstable, and this is the sixth total outage of the grid in 2026, three of which occurred just in July of that year. The electrical system remains vulnerable, with regular power outages happening more frequently and lasting longer,” the statement said. It also noted that “scheduled power cuts occur daily, and unscheduled outages persist throughout Cuba, with daily deficits exceeding 60%.”
The diplomatic mission urged U.S. citizens to stay informed and prepare for extended outages. It recommended that travellers and residents:
– Review the daily updates published by the UNE (Electric Union) and follow UNE’s social media accounts.
– Monitor local media for updates and stay in touch with family and friends.
– Prepare for prolonged power outages by keeping mobile phones and portable batteries charged, having flashlights and spare batteries accessible, and stocking non-perishable food and water.
– Prepare alternative ways to meet medical needs for devices requiring electricity or medications needing refrigeration.
The embassy also advised enrolling in the State Department’s STEP program (step.state.gov) to receive security updates and subscribing to the embassy’s consular WhatsApp channel. The U.S. Department of State currently maintains a Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) travel advisory for Cuba, citing electrical instability as a key factor.
Cuba blackout worsens with second total disconnection
While operators were attempting to restore power after the Sunday outage, a frequency fluctuation caused another total disconnection of the National Electroenergetic System on Monday. The Electric Union posted on its official Facebook account: “In the process of restoring the National Electric System (SEN), the existing weather events have caused impacts on the grid, directly affecting the generating units that were online. We are continuing to work intensively to reverse this situation and achieve the restoration of the system as quickly as possible.”
Minutes before that announcement, government-affiliated journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso reported: “A new disconnection of the National Electric System occurred a few minutes ago. Despite the progress made today, an oscillation caused the outage.” The collapse took place while the system’s recovery was only partial and extremely fragile.
