Cuba Plunges Into Nationwide Blackout After Power Plant Shutdown
Cuba’s national electrical grid collapsed on Friday, leaving the island in darkness after a major power plant failure. The country’s energy ministry confirmed the shutdown occurred when the Antonio Guiteras power plant, Cuba’s largest and most efficient facility, went offline, affecting approximately 10 million residents.
Emergency Measures Fail to Prevent Blackout
The Cuban government had already implemented emergency measures earlier in the day to prevent the blackout. Schools were closed, non-essential industries halted, and most state workers were sent home. Despite these precautions, the grid could not sustain itself after the failure of the Antonio Guiteras plant, resulting in a total grid collapse.
“There will be no rest until [power] is restored,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in a message posted on X, vowing swift action to resolve the crisis. His remarks aimed to reassure the public that the government was fully committed to restoring normalcy.
Island-Wide Shutdown
In response to the worsening situation, the government ordered the closure of all schools, recreational facilities, and non-essential government services through Sunday. Cultural events, including nightclubs, were suspended, and only essential workers in the food and healthcare sectors were instructed to report to work.
Grid officials have not yet provided an estimate of when power will be fully restored, leaving Cubans in uncertainty. Havana’s typically bustling streets fell silent as most commerce stopped, with only the hum of private generators heard in some homes and businesses. Many residents sat in the shade with windows open, trying to endure the heat—a stark reminder of the blackout’s impact on daily life.
An Unbearable Reality for Many Cubans
The blackout represents a new low for many Cubans, who are already enduring severe shortages of food, fuel, water, and medicine. For weeks, rolling blackouts have plagued the island, exacerbated by fuel shortages and aging infrastructure.
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero attributed the persistent outages to multiple issues, including deteriorating infrastructure, fuel shortages, and increasing energy demand. “The fuel shortage is the biggest factor,” Marrero said in a delayed televised address. The reduction in oil imports from Venezuela and other suppliers has critically impacted the country’s ability to generate electricity.
Hurricane Milton and External Factors Worsen Crisis
The energy crisis has been further aggravated by Hurricane Milton, which struck the island last week. Strong winds and heavy seas have hampered Cuba’s ability to import much-needed fuel to power plants. The Cuban government continues to blame the U.S. embargo and sanctions imposed during Donald Trump’s presidency for the difficulties in acquiring spare parts and fuel to operate its oil-fired plants.
Both the Antonio Guiteras and Felton power plants, which are Cuba’s largest producers, are underperforming due to deferred maintenance. While the government has announced plans for a four-year infrastructure overhaul, the immediate need for fuel is critical.
Supply Chain Shortfalls
Cuba’s major oil supplier, Venezuela, has significantly reduced shipments to the island, supplying only 32,600 barrels per day in the first nine months of this year—nearly half of what it supplied in the same period last year. Venezuela’s own refining issues and domestic fuel shortages have left fewer resources available for export to allies like Cuba.
Previous fuel suppliers, such as Russia and Mexico, have also scaled back shipments, leaving Cuba reliant on the expensive international spot market. With the island’s economy already struggling, these fuel purchases have become difficult to sustain.
Despite these challenges, electricity officials remain cautiously optimistic that weather conditions will soon allow fuel deliveries to be distributed around the island, potentially stabilizing power generation in the coming days.
For now, the blackout is a stark reminder of Cuba’s growing vulnerabilities and the daily hardships its residents face.