A total failure of Cuba’s national electrical grid plunged 11 million residents into a nationwide blackout on Monday afternoon, coinciding with new declarations from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the island’s sovereignty. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump stated he expects to have the “honor of taking Cuba in some form,” marking one of the most severe rhetorical escalations between Washington and Havana in decades.
The power collapse follows three months without major fuel shipments entering the country. The shortages have triggered 10 consecutive nights of citizen protests across the island. The energy crisis escalated rapidly following the January 2026 capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro by the United States, which effectively severed Cuba’s primary fuel supply.
Trump elaborated on his administration’s stance toward the island shortly after the grid’s total disconnection. “Whether I free it, take it, I can do anything I want with it,” Trump told reporters. While issuing these military threats, the White House confirmed that bilateral negotiations with Havana are actively occurring. “We’re talking to Cuba, but we’re going to do Iran before Cuba,” Trump added.
This coming from a madman is another confirmation of how ill Trump truly is! A DANGER TO THE WHOLE WORLD
That’s a big honor,”Trump said in remarks from the Oval Office.“Taking Cuba in some form,yeah,taking Cuba.I mean,whether I free it,take it, I can do anything I want with it.”— jo (@jo4955801311705) March 17, 2026
The economic strangulation has driven gas prices on the unofficial market to as much as $9 per liter, costing citizens over $300 to fill a standard vehicle tank. The Trump administration has compounded the 65-year trade embargo by threatening sweeping tariffs on any foreign nation, including Mexico, that exports oil to the island to supply its antiquated power grid.
Diplomatic channels remain open despite the public rhetoric. According to The New York Times, U.S. officials signaled during recent talks that their primary objective is the removal of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, though they are reportedly willing to leave the broader government structure intact.
The concurrent crises of infrastructural collapse and direct territorial threats test the historical U.S. pledge to not invade the island, a precedent established following the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.