A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck eastern Cuba early Tuesday morning following a “total collapse” of the country’s electrical grid. DEVELOPING: Cuba Experiences “Total Collapse” Of Electrical Grid "The quake was centered about 30 miles south-southwest of Maisí, Cuba, and occurred at a depth of about 7 miles, according to the USGS. The earthquake struck at 12:28 a.m," WPLG Local 10 reports. Magnitude 6 earthquake strikes Cuba, EMSC says https://t.co/mV2zIH3T1V https://t.co/mV2zIH3T1V — Reuters (@Reuters) March 17, 2026 WPLG Local 10 shared further: There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries. The U.S. Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami was not expected. The earthquake occurred near the Septentrional–Oriente fault zone, a major earthquake-producing fault system in the northern Caribbean. The fault marks part of the boundary between the North American and Caribbean plates and runs from southeastern Cuba eastward along the northern side of Hispaniola, including Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Scientists describe the Septentrional fault as one of the region’s principal strike-slip faults, where blocks of the Earth’s crust slide past each other horizontally. USGS research has identified it as a likely source of large earthquakes in Hispaniola, and paleoseismic studies suggest some segments have gone hundreds of years without a ground-rupturing event. President Trump commented on Monday that "a lot of Cubans" said they would love to go back to their country. "It's a beautiful island. Great weather. They're not in a hurricane zone, which is nice for a change, they won't be asking us for money for hurricanes every week," Trump said. "All my life I've been hearing about the United States and Cuba. When will the United States do it? I do believe I'll be having the honor of taking Cuba," he continued. "Whether I free it, take it. I think I can do anything I want with it, if you want to know the truth. They're a very wicked nation right now. They were for a long time. Very violent leaders. Castro was a very violent leader. His brother is a very violent leader. Extremely violent. That's how they governed. They governed with violence. But a lot of people would like to go back," Trump added. Footage below: Trump: Cuba, it's a beautiful island. Great weather. I will be having the honor of taking Cuba. Whether I free it, take it. I think I can do anything I want with it, if you want to know the truth pic.twitter.com/Po7J9tJMr2 — Acyn (@Acyn) March 16, 2026 More from the Associated Press: The Trump administration is looking for President Miguel Díaz-Canel to leave as the U.S. continues negotiating with the Cuban government, according to a U.S. official and a source with knowledge of talks between Washington and Havana. No detail has been offered about who the administration might like to see come to power. Many Cubans do not believe that Díaz-Canel holds much power in Cuba, anyway, as opposed to revolutionary founding father Raúl Castro and his family. With little reliable information trickling out of Havana or Washington, experts are watching closely for clues about what’s in the works. “Some pieces of this story as they’re trickling out, don’t add up to me,” said Michael Bustamante, a Cuba expert and associate professor of history at the University of Miami. “I can’t quite figure out what the end game is here for either side.” Electricity was slowly being restored to hospitals and some homes Tuesday afternoon, but officials warned that the crumbling power network could fail again. The government blames its woes on a U.S. energy blockade after Trump in January warned of tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba. Rubio, who is of Cuban heritage, said the island “has an economy that doesn’t work in a political and governmental system. They can’t fix it.” A Cuban official said Monday that Cuba is open to trading with U.S. companies, but such promises have been made before. “So they have to change dramatically,” Rubio said. “What they announced yesterday is not dramatic enough. It’s not going to fix it.”