The Cuban power grid collapsed again, leaving the island in darkness and exacerbating daily hardships for residents.
Cuba's national power network failed on Saturday, causing a second nationwide blackout in less than a week and marking the third such incident in March. The outage affected the entire island, with the Cuban Electric Union reporting a total collapse without an immediate cause.
The blackout stemmed from an unexpected failure at a generating unit in the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant in Camaguey province, leading to a cascading effect on other online machines. The Energy Ministry activated emergency measures, including "micro-islands" of generating units to supply power to critical facilities like hospitals and water systems.
As night fell in Havana, streets were mostly dark, with residents relying on phone lights or torches for navigation. In the city's tourist areas, some restaurants stayed open using generators, allowing musicians to perform despite the disruptions.
Cubans are facing prolonged daily blackouts, up to 15 hours in Havana and longer in other parts of the island with 9.6 million people. A 36-year-old taxi driver, Nilo Lopez, expressed frustration to AFP, stating, "I wonder if we are going to be like this our whole lives. You can’t live like this."
Broader Context of the Crisis
The outages have worsened since no oil has been imported to Cuba since January, impacting the power sector and reducing flights to the island, which hurts tourism. This situation follows the capture of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro in a U.S. military operation in January, Cuba's main oil supplier.
The Cuban government attributes the blackouts to a U.S. energy blockade, with President Donald Trump warning of tariffs on countries selling oil to Cuba. In response to a previous grid collapse, Trump claimed Cuba was weakened and suggested potential U.S. action, while Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel warned of resistance to any external aggression.
An international aid convoy arrived in Havana this week, delivering medical supplies, food, water, and solar panels to alleviate the crisis, though the blackouts continue to intensify daily challenges for the population.
