A massive power outage struck Cuba on Friday night, affecting Havana and multiple provinces, leaving millions without electricity.
According to Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines, the outage occurred around 8:15 p.m. local time due to a failure at the Diezmero substation on the outskirts of Havana. This resulted in “a significant loss of generation in western Cuba,” ultimately leading to the collapse of the National Electric System.
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The ministry announced on its social platform X account that efforts are underway to restore power.
Havana’s streets were shrouded in darkness and largely deserted, with illumination coming only from hotel windows powered by generators. Internet services were also disrupted.
Residents in provinces as distant as Guantánamo, Artemisa, Santiago de Cuba, and Santa Clara reported widespread blackouts, with only occasional flickers of light.
Earlier in the day, the Electric Union, the state entity overseeing the energy sector, indicated in its daily report that peak-hour demand was projected to reach 3,250 megawatts, while the shortfall was estimated at 1,380 megawatts, meaning 42% of the national energy system would be offline. This, however, was not the most severe shortfall recorded in recent times.
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At the end of last year, Cuba endured three major failures in its national power grid, plunging the island into darkness amid a deep economic crisis.
The country’s power network has long been plagued by frequent outages, with more than half of the population experiencing blackouts during peak hours. These disruptions are largely attributed to fuel shortages and aging infrastructure. In many areas, electricity remains essential for cooking and water supply.
Authorities have launched a programme to install photovoltaic parks and have pledged to complete dozens of them within the year. Blackouts have previously triggered anti-government protests in 2021, 2022, and 2024.