MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cuba going through fourth nationwide blackout in six months

Partial remedies never solved Cuba's underlying energy problems

Cuba has experienced its fourth nationwide blackout in six months, leaving nearly 10 million people without electricity following a failure at a key substation in Havana, which caused a chain reaction that led to the shutdown of multiple power generation units, resulting in a total collapse of the National Electric System (SEN). The new crisis is said to be the consequence of persistent underfunding, outdated infrastructure, and fuel shortages.

Efforts to restore power have begun, with microsystems operating in most provinces, but the process is slow and uncertain. Frequent blackouts have worsened the economic downturn, disrupting daily life, causing significant social discontent, and prompting rare protests. “We are already working tirelessly for its speedy recovery,” Prime Minister Manuel Marrero wrote on social media.

Experts estimate that Cuba would need between US$ 8 and 10 billion to overhaul the SEN, but the investment appears unattainable in the short term. After renting up to seven floating power plants to a Turkish company, only one remains in the port of Havana.

The Ministry of Energy and Mines (Minem) reported that around 8.15 pm local time, a failure at the Diezmero substation near Havana caused “a significant loss of generation in western Cuba and, consequently, the failure of the national electricity system,” following the chain reaction.

Minister Vicente de la O Levy confirmed around midnight that service had been restored in some locations and that authorities were continuing to work “in compliance with all established protocols.”

The island, mired in its worst energy crisis in decades, has seen constant infrastructure disruptions since mid-2024, with outages lasting over 20 hours a day, while scheduled cuts in Havana may last up to six hours.

Last October, following a massive blackout, the Miguel Díaz-Canel administration declared an “energy emergency,” which resulted in the temporary closure of schools at all levels and the suspension of cultural and recreational activities to prioritize supply to hospitals and food processing centers.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Ministry insisted that the sector has “solid energy support,” which “guarantees the continuous operation” of its facilities and services.