NATIONAL GRID COLLAPSE PLUNGES MILLIONS OF CUBANS INTO DARKNESS

 

File photo.

Cuba has begun restoring power after a collapse of its electrical grid, marking the latest in a series of nationwide blackouts that highlight the country’s deteriorating energy infrastructure. Energy Minister Vicente de la O'Levy announced that the government prioritized restoring electricity to hospitals and water pumping facilities, though millions of Cubans remained without power by midmorning.

The crisis has forced the communist government to close schools and instruct non-essential workers to stay home until power is fully restored. Minister de la O'Levy expressed cautious optimism, stating, “We have very capable specialists, and they are all involved. We’re going step by step.” He estimated that the grid would be back online by Thursday but emphasized a methodical approach.

Cuba’s power grid, heavily reliant on aging oil-fired plants, has suffered from fuel shortages, natural disasters, and economic challenges. Dwindling oil imports from Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico have exacerbated the situation, leading to frequent blackouts over the past two months.

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Essential resources such as food, medicine, water, and electricity remain scarce, prompting record numbers of Cubans to leave the island in recent years. The government blames U.S. sanctions for worsening the crisis, complicating both financial transactions and fuel procurement.

Wednesday’s blackout was triggered by a failure at the Antonio Guiteras power plant in Matanzas, Cuba’s largest electricity producer, which shut down around 2 a.m. Several other power plants were already offline for maintenance, further crippling the grid.

Rolling blackouts have become a daily occurrence across the island. Residents in Havana, including hotel worker Danielis Mora, woke up frustrated and confused on Wednesday, dealing with both power and gas shortages. “Where I live, there is no gas either. If there’s no electricity, there’s no way to cook unless we use firewood or charcoal,” Mora explained.

Scattered protests have erupted over the past two months, fueled by ongoing shortages of power, water, gas, and food. By midmorning Wednesday, most of Havana was still in darkness, though floating power plants contracted from Turkey’s Karpowership were generating electricity offshore, supplying hospitals and a fraction of the city’s 2 million residents.

The island’s power grid faced multiple collapses in October and November, exacerbated by fuel shortages and Hurricanes Oscar and Rafael. In response, Cuba’s government recently issued a decree requiring state and private businesses to increase renewable energy use and limit air conditioning, among other measures, as the country battles its deepening energy crisis.