HAVANA: Millions of Cubans Experienced Blackouts for the Second Night in a Row
Cuba is grappling with yet another widespread blackout, marking the fourth major outage in less than six months. Millions of residents were left without power on Saturday night, adding to the country’s ongoing struggles with an economic crisis. This crisis has led to severe shortages of food, gas, and medical supplies, all exacerbated by an aging power infrastructure that frequently fails.
The latest power cut began late Friday at a substation close to Havana and quickly affected almost all of the island’s 9.7 million people. Government officials stated that they are working to restore electricity but acknowledged that progress has been slow.
Despite the challenging situation, Cubans are finding ways to cope. Jorge Suarez, a 47-year-old lawyer, shared his experience while enjoying a beer at a Havana bar powered by a small generator. "You get used to the conditions,” he said. “It’s like animals in the desert; they adapt to live without water. We just have to wait for the government to fix the problem."
Adela Alba, 37, runs the bar, which also functions as a grocery store. She expressed the difficulties of operating under these circumstances, noting that her generator helps maintain basic services since she still has to pay rent and taxes.
Outside, many are cooking meals over firewood due to a gas shortage that has lasted for months. Others gather in locations with electricity to charge their cell phones.
Ariel Mas Castellanos, an official from the power company in Havana, noted that the equipment failures are the result of aging machinery that has seen years of service. He explained that parallel circuits are providing electricity to essential places like hospitals and some neighborhoods.
Meanwhile, President Miguel Diaz-Canel mentioned on social media that work is being done to synchronize generator units with the national grid. Silvia Torres, a 64-year-old resident from Las Tunas province, expressed gratitude for having electricity in her area. "Thanks to God, we woke up with light… it’s a blessing because I know many are still in the dark,” she said.
Friday’s blackout plunged the streets of Havana into darkness, forcing residents to use phone flashlights to navigate their way home. Ruben Borroto, 69, described his frustration: “No elevator, no water, it’s awful. I feel cornered.”
Daymi Echenique, 26, also shared her distress, stating, “There’s not a drop of water, and the food is starting to spoil." In Havana, many neighborhoods experience power cuts nearly every day, lasting four to five hours, while some provinces suffer outages that can extend past 20 hours.
Earlier this year, authorities even paused all activities for two days to prevent a major blackout. The situation in Cuba remains critical, especially after two prolonged outages in late 2022, one of which occurred during a hurricane.
