Cuba Faces Total Blackout Again, Leaving Residents Frustrated
Cuba has once again experienced a total nationwide blackout, marking the seventh occurrence this year. This follows the ongoing fuel crisis affecting the island, which remains isolated due to the United Nations-sanctioned blockade by the United States.
According to news agency AFP, on Friday night, only about five per cent of residents in the capital, Havana, had access to electricity supply. “A total disconnection of the electrical system has occurred,” stated the Cuban Ministry of Energy via its X account.
The state-owned electricity company, UNE, stated that this national blackout—the twelfth since the end of 2024—was triggered by disruptions in transmission lines, which were worsened by unstable weather conditions.
The island, home to over nine million people, suffers from continuous power outages due to the dilapidated state of its thermoelectric power plants. The situation has deteriorated since January, when the US imposed a de facto energy blockade to pressure the communist government in Havana.
A severe fuel crisis has made it difficult to operate power plants and Cuba’s backup generators, which generally rely on imported diesel.
“Problems are coming one after another; water is not flowing, there is no gas for cooking, and the electricity is out,” said Lidia Fernandez, a 36-year-old school teacher. “To be honest, I don’t know how we haven’t gone mad,” she added with frustration.
In recent weeks, power outages in the capital have lasted more than 30 hours, while in provincial areas, the duration has sometimes exceeded 60 hours.
Francisco Rodriguez, a 78-year-old retiree, said his home had been in total darkness without electricity for 28 hours leading up to Friday. “I thought they would at least turn the electricity back on for a few hours, but now I think we won’t have power for several days,” he said.
The crisis has also had a widespread impact, disrupting clean water supplies and mobile phone networks, further worsening the daily lives of residents.
“This is no longer just an electricity crisis. We are also facing problems with water and gas supplies,” said another resident, 60-year-old Lazaro Reyes.