Cuba: the entire country affected by a power outage

Since midday on Friday, Cuba has suffered a total power outage, after the island’s main thermal power station shut down.

The streets of Havana were deserted, no public transport, few vehicles and traffic lights non-functional. Some private businesses remained open. Classes have been suspended across the country until Monday.

The system is without electricity throughout the countryafter the shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras plant, Lazaro Guerra, general director of electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, told state television.

Mr. Guerra said that when the power plant shut down, the system has collapsed.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel affirmed on X that the government was mobilized and thatthere will be no rest until recovery of the power supply. He assures that solving this very sensitive energy problem is there top priority.

On Thursday, he announced that Cuba was in a situation ofenergy emergency due to the difficulties in purchasing the fuel necessary to power its power stations, due to the strengthening of the embargo that Washington has imposed on the island since 1962.

C’est aberrantdeclared to theAFP Eloy Font, an 80-year-old retiree living in central Havana. This demonstrates the fragility of our electrical system […] there are no reserves, there is nothing to keep this country on its feet, we live from day to dayhe lamented.

For three months, Cubans have suffered from recurring power cuts that have become more and more frequent. On Thursday, the national energy deficit which hovered around 30% reached 50%, reinforcing the exasperation of the population.

Two days ago I could barely work and now what am I going to do? It’s terrible to live like this, in 47 years, I haven’t seen anything worsesays Barbara Lopez, digital content creator.

The first restrictions date back to March, with the government’s increasing difficulties in sourcing fuel and parts needed to operate and repair the country’s aging thermoelectric power plants.

In recent weeks in several provinces, outages have lasted more than 20 hours a day.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero announced the suspension of all non-essential public services in order to prioritize the supply of electricity to hospitals, businesses and homes.

On the island, electricity is produced from eight dilapidated thermal power plants, sometimes broken down or under maintenance, as well as seven floating power plants, which the government rents to Russian companies, and generators.

Most of this infrastructure requires fuel to operate.

The island is currently experiencing its worst crisis in three decades, with shortages of food and medicine and chronic power cuts.