Cuba suffers fourth nationwide blackout in five months

A massive power outage plunged western Cuba into darkness on Friday night, marking the country's first general blackout of 2025, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mines.

The failure, which occurred at around 8:15 p.m., was caused by a breakdown at a power substation in the Diezmero neighborhood south of Havana, triggering a collapse of the national electricity system.

Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, writing on X, assured the public that the government was "working tirelessly" to restore electricity.

Just before midnight, officials announced that independent circuits had been activated to supply power to priority sectors, such as hospitals in some provinces.

However, the outage left much of Havana in total darkness, forcing residents to navigate the streets using only flashlights and phone screens.

"My God, this is terrible, we're in for a dark weekend," said Karen Gutierrez, a 32-year-old ice cream seller in the capital.

Only hotels, private businesses with generators, and essential services like hospitals had lights on.

In Camaguey, a central city, Angelica Caridad Martinez, 50, said she lost her appetite when the power cut interrupted her dinner plans.

"I'm not even hungry anymore," she told AFP. "This situation is unsustainable, no one can live like this."

Andres Lopez, a 67-year-old from Holguin, expressed frustration over yet another blackout.

"It really bugs me," he said. "Let's see when they get the power back on."

This latest outage follows a series of crippling blackouts in late 2024, including three nationwide failures in the year's final months—two lasting several days.

Cuba is grappling with its worst economic crisis in 30 years, worsened by food, medicine, and fuel shortages, soaring inflation, and a mass exodus of migrants, primarily to the U.S.

Racing to Expand Solar Power
The blackout crisis has been exacerbated by the ageing condition of Cuba's eight thermal power plants, most of which were built in the 1980s and 1990s and suffer frequent breakdowns.

Meanwhile, Turkish floating power barges, which provide additional electricity, rely on imported fuel, which is both costly and scarce.

In October 2024, a breakdown at Cuba's largest power plant, Guiteras, left the island without power for four days.

The same facility suffered another major failure in December, taking down the grid once again.

In November, Hurricane Rafael also knocked out electricity nationwide.

The Cuban government continues to blame the U.S. trade embargo, which has been in place for over six decades, for its ongoing energy struggles.

To address the crisis, Cuba is accelerating the construction of 55 solar farms using Chinese technology, aiming for completion by the end of 2025.

Authorities claim these renewable energy projects will contribute 1,200 megawatts, covering 12% of Cuba’s total electricity needs.