A power outage plunged Havana and western Cuba into darkness, affecting millions due to issues with oil reserves and an aging electrical system. The outage, caused by a shutdown at a major thermoelectric power plant, impacted a wide area from Pinar del Río to Camaguey. Efforts to restore power focused on critical facilities like hospitals and clinics, with two power plants brought back online to support essential services.
The U.S. Embassy in Cuba issued a security alert advising people to prepare for disruptions and conserve resources. As darkness fell, residents coped with the outage by gathering outside, cooking communal meals, and finding ways to entertain themselves in the absence of electricity. The outage, attributed to a leak in a power plant boiler, highlighted the challenges faced by Cuba’s outdated energy infrastructure.
Authorities emphasized the need for ongoing maintenance of aging plants and cited U.S. sanctions as a barrier to acquiring necessary equipment. Cuba’s energy crisis has been exacerbated by diminishing oil reserves following disruptions in oil shipments from Venezuela. Despite these challenges, residents remained resilient, determined to overcome the latest outage and navigate the country’s energy struggles.