Cuba suffers nationwide blackout after main power plant fails
Cuba is facing a nationwide blackout after the failure of its main energy plant, leaving its 10 million residents without power.
The energy ministry reported that the power grid collapsed at approximately 11:00 (15:00 GMT) on Friday.
Officials from the grid indicated that they were uncertain about the duration of the power outage.
The island has been plagued by extended blackouts for months, which led the prime minister to declare an “energy emergency” on Thursday.
The complete blackout occurred after the Antonio Guiteras power plant in Matanzas, the largest on the island, went offline.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez stated that addressing the situation was his “absolute priority,” assuring that there would be “no rest until power is restored,” in a post on X.
Lazara Guerra, head of electricity supply at the energy ministry, informed AFP that the restoration process was just beginning. She mentioned that there was “some level of electricity generation” that could be used to restart power plants in various regions of the country.
Earlier on Friday, officials announced the closure of all schools and non-essential activities, including nightclubs, until Monday. Non-essential workers were advised to stay home to conserve electricity, and non-essential government services were suspended.
Cubans have also been urged to switch off high-consumption appliances such as fridges and ovens during peak hours, according to local media.
“This is crazy,” Eloy Fon, an 80-year-old pensioner living in central Havana, told AFP.
“It shows the fragility of our electricity system… We have no reserves, there is nothing to sustain the country, we are living day to day.”
Bárbara López, 47, a digital content creator, said she had already “barely been able to work for two days”.
“It’s the worst I’ve seen in 47 years,” she said. “They’ve really messed up now… We have no power or mobile data.”
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero addressed the public in a televised message on Thursday, blaming deteriorating infrastructure, fuel shortages and rising demand for the electricity failures.
“The fuel shortage is the biggest factor,” he said.
The head of the National Electric Union (UNE) Alfredo López Valdés also acknowledged the island had been facing a challenging energy situation, with shortages chiefly to blame.
In part, because the ability to keep the lights on represents a potential public order issue for the Cuban Government.
In July 2021, thousands of protesters spilled into the streets in demonstrations sparked by days-long blackouts in much of the country.
The desperation caused by precious food stuffs going to waste in warm fridges and freezers was exacerbated by citizens going for days with no air-conditioning or ceiling fans in the island’s stifling heat.
In many buildings, electric pumps bring water to the taps, so no power also meant no water.
Furthermore, no petrol at the pumps mean that people can’t work or use their cars to solve basic problems or tend to urgent needs.
The Cuban Government has becoming increasingly aware that many on the island have lost a degree of fear over speaking out about the many daily problems they face on the island.
Some are even prepared to take to the streets and chant anti-government slogans, if conditions merit it.
In March, Hundreds of people in Cuba’s second-largest city, Santiago, staged a rare public protest over chronic power blackouts and food shortages.
