Millions of residents in Havana and western Cuba were plunged into darkness after a blackout on Wednesday, highlighting the challenges faced by the island due to depleting oil reserves and an aging electrical infrastructure.
According to a statement from a government energy official, restoration efforts at one of Cuba’s major thermoelectric power plants, which triggered the blackout, may take up to 72 hours. The outage impacted regions stretching from Pinar del RÃo in the west to Camaguey in the central part of the island.
In response, Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy confirmed that critical facilities like hospitals were being prioritized for power restoration, with two power plants being brought back online. The government is striving to stabilize the National Electric System amidst the current energy crisis.
The U.S. Embassy in Cuba issued a security alert advising people to brace for prolonged disruptions and conserve essential resources like fuel, water, food, and phone batteries. The embassy highlighted the increasing unreliability of Cuba’s power grid, with frequent and extended blackouts becoming a daily occurrence.
By evening, the Cuban government reported that power had been restored to a small portion of Havana, serving around 21,100 customers. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz expressed confidence in the efforts of electrical workers to resolve the situation promptly.
The outage, initiated by a malfunction at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant, left residents like Odalis Sánchez, who was stranded due to a recent surgery, struggling to navigate the darkened streets. The lack of public transportation compounded the challenges faced by hundreds of individuals seeking alternative means of travel.
This incident marks the second major blackout in Cuba’s western region in the last three months, underscoring the strain on aged power generation facilities with limited maintenance resources. Additionally, the country’s energy sector has been further strained by diminishing oil supplies following disruptions in shipments from Venezuela earlier this year.
Despite these challenges, Cubans like Ernesto Couto MartÃnez remain resilient, determined to confront the outage with unwavering resolve. The community spirit perseveres, with individuals expressing a collective determination to overcome the obstacles posed by the persistent energy crisis.