Cuba’s government announced efforts to restore electrical service across the island after the national grid collapsed for the second time in 24 hours. Lazaro Guerra, Cuba’s top electricity official, confirmed that a malfunction in western Cuba had disrupted progress in reconnecting three critical power plants.
Guerra stated on a morning TV news program, “I cannot assure you that we will complete linking the system today, but we estimate significant progress.” Meanwhile, state-run outlet CubaDebate reported a “total disconnection of the national electro-energetic system,” although Guerra did not confirm this directly.
Widespread Power Outages
The electrical grid first failed midday Friday when one of Cuba’s largest power plants shut down, leaving over 10 million people without power. By Friday evening, power had begun to return to isolated areas, sparking hope for a full recovery.
The Cuban government had already been grappling with an electricity shortfall, which forced non-essential state workers home and canceled school classes to conserve fuel for power generation.
Causes of Ongoing Blackouts
Cuba has experienced worsening blackouts, with outages lasting 10 to 20 hours a day in many parts of the island. The government attributes the crisis to aging infrastructure, fuel shortages, and increasing demand. Recent strong winds from Hurricane Milton have also hindered fuel deliveries from ships offshore, affecting power plant operations.
Fuel Supply Issues
Fuel deliveries from key suppliers—Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico—have dropped significantly. Venezuela, in particular, cut its subsidized fuel shipments to Cuba by half this year, pushing Cuba to seek more expensive oil on the open market.
Cuba’s government also blames the U.S. trade embargo and sanctions imposed under former President Donald Trump for its difficulties in acquiring fuel and spare parts for its oil-fired plants.
