Cuba’s government announced on Saturday that it had made some headway in restoring electrical service across the island, including to hospitals and areas of the capital, Havana. This follows reports from state-run media indicating that the national grid had collapsed for the second time within 24 hours. Despite the efforts, a significant portion of Cuba’s 10 million residents remained without power on Saturday afternoon.
Havana was left in darkness, with traffic lights nonfunctional at intersections and most businesses closed. Long lines formed at state-subsidized stores as citizens sought bread and essential goods. Lázaro Guerra, the country’s top electricity official, stated that the grid operator, UNE, was actively working to increase the system’s capacity to restart several power plants and restore electricity to more regions.
“I cannot assure you that we will complete linking the system today, but we are estimating that there should be important progress,” Guerra said during a TV broadcast. The Guardian has confirmed that some areas of the island are beginning to regain electrical service.
The grid first collapsed around midday on Friday, following a failure at one of Cuba’s largest power plants, leaving millions without electricity. Earlier that day, the government had already sent nonessential state workers home and canceled school classes due to an existing electricity shortfall, in an effort to conserve fuel.
While there were initial signs of power restoration with sporadic flickering lights on Friday evening, UNE has yet to provide information on the reasons behind the second grid collapse or the timeline for full restoration of service. In recent weeks, blackouts lasting between 10 to 20 hours have become increasingly common, attributed to deteriorating infrastructure, fuel shortages, and rising demand. Officials have also noted that strong winds from Hurricane Milton last week hampered the delivery of fuel from offshore.
This year, fuel deliveries to Cuba have significantly declined, as key suppliers like Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico have reduced their exports. Venezuela cut its subsidized fuel deliveries in half, forcing Cuba to seek more expensive oil on the open market. Additionally, the Cuban government has cited the US trade embargo and sanctions imposed during Donald Trump’s presidency as contributing factors to its struggles in obtaining fuel and spare parts necessary for maintaining its oil-fired power plants. However, the US has denied any involvement in the grid collapse.
As Cuba grapples with its ongoing energy crisis, Hurricane Oscar is forming north of the Dominican Republic, posing a threat of heavy rains and strong winds to northeastern Cuba in the coming days, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
