The Cuban government announced that after days of emergency repairs by maintenance crews, the Antonio Guiteras thermal power plant—the nation’s primary electricity source—was fully restored on March 7 and is expected to resume operations on Saturday afternoon local time.
Located east of Havana, the plant’s boiler leak caused a malfunction that plunged millions of residents across half of western Cuba into darkness for several days. Buses halted due to fuel shortages, causing severe inconvenience to daily life and sparking protests and livelihood issues. Havana resident Sanchez even stated she couldn’t cook for her grandchildren without electricity. Felix Estrada Rodriguez, a senior engineer with Cuba’s electricity union, noted that workers had to operate in narrow, high-temperature hazardous conditions, making repairs exceptionally challenging. Although the plant is gradually restarting, official data indicates the island currently provides only about 1,000 megawatts of electricity—less than half of total demand.
At the Latin American leaders’ summit, U.S. President Trump reiterated that the Cuban government is “on its last legs,” asserting regime change is merely a matter of time. Furthermore, Trump signed an executive order as early as January 29 explicitly threatening economic sanctions against any nation supplying or transshipping oil to Cuba, resulting in a complete disruption of the island’s energy supply chain.
Reports indicate China is actively assisting Cuba in developing solar energy, having exported thousands of photovoltaic panels. However, the deployment of renewable energy remains insufficient to compensate for fuel shortages. With fuel reserves depleting and external sanctions intensifying, Cuba is teetering on the brink of an energy and humanitarian crisis. The unfolding situation has become a focal point of instability in the Caribbean region.
Commentary:
Cuba’s widespread blackouts appear as a humanitarian disaster caused by outdated infrastructure and technical failures, but they are fundamentally a geopolitical struggle. From imposing an oil embargo to threatening sanctions against any nation supplying energy, the U.S. is attempting to revive a modern version of the Monroe Doctrine through “maximum pressure.” Energy is being weaponized as a political bargaining chip to advance regime change. Thus, the core motivation behind escalating the oil blockade at this juncture is to wield energy as the ultimate blade for “regime change.” By cutting off oil supplies to Venezuela and Mexico, Trump could sever the lifeline of the Cuban government, forcing it to negotiate on the brink of economic collapse and directly facilitating a “friendly regime change.”
The U.S. aims not only to eliminate what it perceives as a “communist remnant” threatening national security but also to sever Russia and China’s intelligence and military footprints in Latin America. Cuba serves as a pivotal pawn in Washington’s backyard geopolitical competition. Beyond the blockade walls erected by the United States, the tug-of-war over Cuba intensifies as China actively exports photovoltaic technology to bolster its position. In the era of multipolarity, energy has become the sharpest political weapon in the competition among major powers. When energy becomes a shackle in political gamesmanship, it is millions of ordinary citizens—unable even to cook a hot meal—who suffer the most.