Cuba is bracing for the unlikely possibility of a military confrontation with the United States, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, while the island faces repeated nationwide blackouts caused by a U.S.-imposed oil blockade.
Speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press, de Cossio said, “Our country has historically been ready to mobilize as a nation as a whole for military aggression … We don’t believe it is something that is probable, but we would be naive if we do not prepare.” He emphasized that regime change is “absolutely” off the table in any discussions with the United States.
Mirna Clavijo, 84, and her daughter Isabel Gutierrez, 61, cook dinner as Cuba’s national electric grid collapsed for the second time in a week amid the U.S.-imposed oil blockade, according to officials, as the communist government struggles to keep the lights on for about 10 million people with decrepit infrastructure, in Havana, Cuba, March 21, 2026. REUTERS/Norlys Perez
The warnings come as Cuba’s energy infrastructure teeters on collapse. On Saturday evening, a major thermoelectric plant in Nuevitas, eastern Camaguey province, went offline, triggering the second nationwide power outage in a week and affecting roughly 10 million people. By Sunday afternoon, about 55% of Havana’s 500,000 homes and businesses, along with 43 hospitals, had regained electricity.
The outages have become a regular hardship for residents, who face daily disruptions even when the grid is partially operational. A severe shortage of diesel fuel limits the capacity of the national grid, leaving many areas subject to extended blackouts despite ongoing restoration efforts.
Jesus Rodriguez lights charcoal for cooking while his wife, Yaliet Iglesias, sits nearby as Cuba’s national electric grid collapsed for the second time in a week amid the U.S.-imposed oil blockade, according to officials, as the communist government struggles to keep the lights on for about 10 million people with decrepit infrastructure, in Havana, Cuba, March 21, 2026. REUTERS/Norlys Perez
Cuba has relied on international shipments for fuel, including Russian-origin tankers, amid the U.S. blockade. President Donald Trump’s measures to halt oil supplies from Venezuela and other nations have further strained Cuba’s already fragile energy network, a crisis the island blames on Washington while U.S. officials cite Cuba’s outdated Soviet-era system.
A vintage car drives along an empty street as Cuba begins efforts to restore power after its grid collapsed for the second time in a week, amid a U.S. oil blockade that has dealt a major blow to the island’s already ailing energy infrastructure, in Havana, Cuba March 22, 2026. REUTERS/Norlys Perez
Despite the power failures and escalating tensions, life in Havana continues, with residents improvising around the outages and awaiting the delivery of fuel to stabilize the grid. The twin pressures of a U.S. oil blockade and repeated blackouts underscore Cuba’s energy vulnerability and its cautious stance in the face of potential conflict.
