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Cuba slowly gets power back after third blackout in 10 days
🇯🇲 Jamaica /Energy & Infrastructure

Cuba slowly gets power back after third blackout in 10 days

From Jamaica Observer · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Cubans are gradually regaining power after a third nationwide blackout in less than 10 days.
  • The national power grid failed Tuesday due to a generating unit problem, leaving millions without electricity.
  • Fuel shortages, exacerbated by U.S. sanctions, are straining Cuba's aging power infrastructure and causing frequent outages.

HAVANA, Cuba, Electricity is slowly returning to Cuban homes after a nationwide power outage, the third in just over a week, according to the state-run UNE electricity company. The entire country lost power Tuesday afternoon when a problem at a thermoelectric plant caused a sudden frequency change.

Restoration is being carried out gradually, as permitted by the National Electric System.

— UNEThe state-run electricity company announced the gradual return of power after the nationwide blackout.

Restoration efforts were underway late Tuesday and into Wednesday, but by early Wednesday, only 24 percent of Havana households had electricity. UNE stated that power is being restored gradually as the national electric system allows.

I have no words. When I woke up this morning, the power was back and I cooked some beans. Now, I went out and it’s off again. It feels like there is no solution.

— Maria Caridad AlvarezA 62-year-old housewife described her frustration with the recurring power outages.

This latest blackout highlights the severe strain on Cuba's energy infrastructure, already struggling with fuel shortages. U.S. sanctions, which cut off oil supplies in January, have depleted fuel reserves for power plants. Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy described the situation as "practically living through a war," citing a "total absence of fuel" and difficulties obtaining spare parts.

The energy crisis “is killing people’s enthusiasm for life,”

— Maria Caridad AlvarezA resident expressed the impact of the energy crisis on daily life.

Residents are growing increasingly frustrated with the recurring outages. Maria Caridad Alvarez, a 62-year-old housewife, expressed her despair, saying, "When I woke up this morning, the power was back and I cooked some beans. Now, I went out and it’s off again. It feels like there is no solution." The prolonged blackouts, which have lasted over 24 hours in previous instances, spoil food and disrupt daily life, leading some residents to protest by setting trash fires or banging pots and pans.

This situation is mainly due to the state of our electrical system, exacerbated by the decisions of the United States. We are practically living through a war. There is a total absence of fuel and the government cannot obtain spare parts for its plants.

— Vicente de la O LevyCuba's Energy and Mines Minister explained the causes of the frequent power outages.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jamaica Observer in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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