Cuba is grappling with ongoing power outages, with the latest disruption occurring due to a malfunction at the Antonio Guiteras power plant. Despite efforts by authorities to restore electricity, many residents remained without power. The situation has been exacerbated by a series of natural disasters and the country’s severe economic crisis, leading to school closures and heightened anxiety among citizens, who are struggling with frequent blackouts and general power instability.
Power Outages Continue to Plague Cuba
On Wednesday, Cuba experienced another widespread power outage, marking the third such incident in under two months. This latest disruption was triggered by a malfunction at the country’s primary power plant, prompting officials to express optimism about restoring electricity throughout the day.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel took to X early in the morning to share updates, stating, “We have been closely monitoring the recovery efforts of the national power system.” He commended the dedication of the Ministry of Energy and the national electricity company (UNE) in their attempt to restore power, anticipating “good progress” by the day’s end.
Despite ongoing efforts, the majority of the island’s 10 million residents remained without power by midday. Authorities reported that some independent circuits had been successfully restored, particularly those serving hospitals, but significant portions of the population were still affected.
Recent Disruptions and Their Impact
The outage began overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, with the Ministry of Energy and Mines confirming at 2:08 AM (07:08 GMT) that a new disconnection of the national electrical system (SEN) had occurred. This disruption was linked to a failure at the Antonio Guiteras power plant, located in the central province of Matanzas.
This is not the first time the plant has been at the center of power issues; a nationwide outage on October 18 was also due to problems at the same facility, compounded by fuel shortages, leaving citizens without electricity for four days. A second major outage happened on November 6 when Hurricane Rafael impacted the western region of the island, leading to prolonged restoration efforts.
In light of the recent outage, the Ministry of Energy and Mines expressed hope for significant recovery of the national electricity system throughout Wednesday. Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy clarified that the Guiteras power plant’s shutdown was a result of an automatic failure, with no damage reported to other operational electricity production units.
In response to the outages, authorities announced the closure of schools and the suspension of non-essential economic activities. The ongoing power issues have left citizens feeling anxious and frustrated. Orlando Matos, a night security guard in Havana, shared his struggle: “Power cuts leave us no respite. We live in anxiety regarding both scheduled blackouts and general outages.”
The situation is compounded by a series of natural disasters, including recent hurricanes and an earthquake, which have inflicted considerable damage on the island. As Cuba faces its worst economic crisis in three decades, characterized by food shortages, inflation, and chronic electrical deficits, the impact of these outages becomes increasingly pronounced.