Nationwide Blackout Plunges Cuba Into Darkness

Cuba experienced a nationwide power outage late Friday due to a collapse in the national electricity grid.

This marks the fourth major blackout in five months, as the country continues to grapple with its worst economic crisis in decades.

According to the Ministry of Energy and Mines, a failure in western Cuba's power generation system triggered the collapse of the national grid around 8:15 PM local time.

Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz assured citizens that authorities are working tirelessly to restore electricity as quickly as possible.

By midnight, independent circuits were supplying power to essential sectors such as hospitals in certain provinces.

However, most of Havana's streets remained in darkness, with residents relying on phone lights and flashlights to navigate the city.

Many Cubans expressed frustration over the recurring blackouts. A local ice cream vendor in Havana described the situation as terrible, saying that the weekend would be spent in darkness.

In the city of Camagüey, a woman who was preparing dinner when the power went out lost her appetite, calling the situation unbearable.

Cuba's aging power infrastructure, which relies heavily on thermal power plants built in the 1980s and 1990s, is prone to frequent breakdowns. 

The country also depends on Turkish floating power plants, which require costly imported fuel that is often in short supply due to the ongoing U.S. trade embargo.

In 2024 alone, Cuba experienced three nationwide blackouts. In October, a failure at the country’s largest power plant, Antonio Guiteras, left the island without power for four days.

The same plant suffered another failure in December, causing another major outage. Just weeks later, Hurricane Rafael knocked out power across the entire country.

The Cuban government attributes the crisis to the decades-long U.S. trade embargo, which was tightened during Donald Trump's presidency. However, experts point to the country’s outdated power infrastructure and lack of investment in renewable energy as major factors.

To address the issue, Cuba is accelerating the construction of at least 55 solar power plants with Chinese technology by the end of this year. These facilities are expected to generate around 1,200 megawatts, covering approximately 12% of the country’s total electricity demand.

Despite these efforts, Cubans continue to face daily power cuts lasting up to five hours in Havana and over 20 hours in some rural areas.

Many fear that the worsening energy crisis will further deepen the country's economic turmoil, which has already led to food and fuel shortages, rising inflation, and widespread discontent.