Cuba’s Energy Crisis: Dancing Despite U.S. Blockade

In Havana, the preservation of cultural heritage has become a form of resilience for residents facing one of the most severe economic crises in decades. Amid a systemic energy crisis driven by a near-total U.S. Blockade on oil shipments, local organizers continue to host dance events that serve as both a cultural sanctuary and a psychological escape from chronic instability.

For decades, Alberto González and his wife, Mercedes Cruz, both 72, have managed a weekly dance night known as Los Tradicionales (the traditional ones). The event is held in a historic social hall located in one of the oldest neighborhoods of Havana, situated a few blocks from the Caribbean Sea. The primary objective of the gathering is to preserve Cuba’s diverse dance traditions, including rumba, timba, and casino, which is a predecessor to salsa.

The necessity of these gatherings has intensified as the island’s infrastructure falters. On March 23, 2026, the event continued to draw participants, such as 58-year-old administrative employee Manuela Varona Delgado, despite the surrounding distress. For many attendees, the dance floor is the only place where the pressures of their daily environment are momentarily suspended.

Here, you don’t think. You dance.

Mercedes Cruz

Impact of the Energy Blockade

The current crisis is characterized by frequent nationwide blackouts and severe shortages of basic necessities, including food and water. These conditions are the result of a U.S.-imposed oil embargo and a near-total blockade on oil shipments to the island. The lack of fuel has crippled the power grid, leaving many residents without the ability to bathe or flush toilets.

In the Vedado neighborhood of Havana, the impact was starkly visible during a nationwide blackout on March 21, 2026, when the area went completely dark. The unpredictability of the electricity supply has forced residents to alter their fundamental daily routines. Many have become accustomed to waking up at any hour of the night to cook meals or do laundry the moment the electricity flickers back on.

This instability is compounded by political tension. Residents have expressed ongoing anxiety regarding the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, who previously warned that Cuba’s next following the bombing of Iran.

Limited Relief from International Shipments

While the blockade remains largely in effect, there have been isolated exceptions. On March 31, 2026, the Russian-flagged oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin docked at the Cuban port of Matanzas. The vessel arrived carrying 730,000 barrels of oil, marking the first time in three months that an oil tanker had reached the island.

The administration of President Trump allowed the Anatoly Kolodkin to proceed despite the ongoing energy blockade. However, the arrival of the fuel has not immediately translated into stability for the local population. On the day the tanker entered Matanzas Bay, more than half of the city remained without electricity, and residents reported little hope that their quality of life would improve quickly despite the proximity of the oil to refineries.

Dance as Cultural Survival

For the organizers of Los Tradicionales, the weekly party is more than a social event; it is a commitment to community and identity. The instability of the power grid has changed the nature of the event’s organization. In the past, the dance night was a certainty, but the energy crisis has turned it into a question of logistics. Residents now frequently message organizers to ask if there is power or if the event will open on a given day.

Despite the heat and the prevalence of mosquitoes in homes without functioning fans, the cultural drive to maintain these traditions remains strong. As one Havana resident described the role of dance in their life:

Dancing is a language. It is our mother tongue.

Havana resident

The persistence of Los Tradicionales reflects a broader pattern of Cuban citizens utilizing cultural heritage to maintain social cohesion while navigating a period of extreme economic and political volatility.