HAVANA — Cuba was plunged into darkness as millions remained without power on Saturday following a widespread failure of the nation’s electric grid. This blackout is the fourth such occurrence in the past six months amidst the severe economic turmoil afflicting the Caribbean nation. According to a statement from the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the recent outage stemmed from a malfunction at a substation on the outskirts of Havana, the capital.
Internet and telephone services were sporadic by Saturday evening, after the power went out around 8 p.m. local time on Friday.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel assured the public via social media that efforts are underway to restore the power system to normalcy.
Lázaro Guerra, an official responsible for electricity at the ministry, announced on national television that power was already being generated to sustain essential services such as hospitals.
The Cuban Electricity Union released a statement on Saturday outlining a plan to forge “microsystems” designed to interconnect and progressively restore electricity nationwide. These systems were reportedly already operational in several provinces including Guantánamo, Santiago, Las Tunas, and Pinar del Río.
In the province of Sancti Spíritus, over 200,000 customers reportedly had electricity restored through these microsystems, according to the provincial energy company’s Telegram channel.
Many Cubans depend on electric appliances for cooking, making power outages potentially harmful as food stored in refrigerators could spoil due to the island’s tropical climate.
“When I was about to start cooking and make some spaghetti, the power went out. And now what?” lamented Cecilia Duquense, a 79-year-old housewife from the Central Havana neighborhood.
Meanwhile, many Havana residents were out shopping for food on Saturday, with businesses managing to stay open, though a few relied on battery power or small generators.
“We are very worried that the food will go bad” if the blackout persists, shared Frank García, a 26-year-old market worker in Havana.
Gas stations continued to operate, but the tunnel beneath Havana Bay, connecting the city to its suburbs, remained without lighting.
In recent months, Cuba experienced similar blackouts in October, November, and December. Although this latest outage is the first of 2025, mid-February saw authorities temporarily suspend classes and work activities for two days due to an electricity generation shortfall exceeding 50%.
Experts attribute these electricity disruptions to both fuel shortages affecting the power plants and outdated infrastructure, as many plants have been in operation for over three decades.
These power outages occur against the backdrop of Cuba’s acute economic crisis, which analysts have attributed to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic policies triggering inflation, and intensified sanctions imposed by the United States.
