A car's headlights shine on a dark street in Havana during Friday's blackout. Getty Images
A massive power outage hit Cuba on Friday night, plunging millions into darkness. The blackout affected Havana and several other provinces, leaving streets empty and homes without electricity. The country’s Ministry of Energy and Mines confirmed that the outage began around 8:15 p.m. local time due to a failure at the Diezmero substation near Havana. This disruption caused a major loss of power in western Cuba and led to the collapse of the National Electric System.
Authorities said efforts were underway to restore electricity, but many areas remained without power. The only visible lights in Havana came from hotels equipped with backup generators. Reports of blackouts also came from provinces like Guantanamo, Artemisa, Santiago de Cuba, and Santa Clara, where people struggled with limited electricity.
Earlier in the day, Cuba’s state-run Electric Union had predicted a peak-hour demand of 3,250 megawatts, with a shortfall of about 1,380 megawatts. This meant that nearly 42% of the country’s power supply would be unavailable. However, Friday’s outage was even more severe than anticipated, making it one of the worst in recent months.
Cuba has faced repeated power crises in recent years, with three major nationwide blackouts occurring at the end of last year. The country’s outdated electrical grid and ongoing fuel shortages have made power failures a frequent problem. More than half the country regularly experiences outages during peak hours, making daily life difficult for many Cubans.
Electricity is essential for basic necessities like cooking and water supply, and these ongoing blackouts have deepened frustrations. Many Cubans rely on electric appliances for daily tasks, and without power, even accessing clean water becomes a struggle.
The country’s economic difficulties have made it hard to maintain and upgrade the aging power system. As a result, power outages have become a normal part of life, with little hope for immediate improvement. Officials continue working to stabilize the system, but the lack of resources remains a major challenge.
