Cuba in Darkness: New Total Blackout for the Second Time in a Week

Cuba suffered a total collapse of its electrical system this Saturday, the second in less than seven days, leaving virtually the entire island without power. The state-owned Unión Eléctrica (UNE) confirmed the total disconnection of the National Electro-energetic System (SEN) at 6:32 PM local time, without providing immediate details on the technical reasons for the failure.

This new outage occurs within a context of extreme fragility, where the Cuban power grid was already operating at minimum capacity due to a lack of fuel and the accumulated deterioration of its thermal power plants.

Why Did the New Collapse Occur?

While UNE has yet to issue a detailed official report, recurring causes identified by experts include:

1. Fuel Shortage: Oil supplies from Venezuela and Mexico have been drastically reduced due to recent sanctions and commercial pressures.
2. Breakdowns in Critical Plants: Key thermal plants like Antonio Guiteras in Matanzas have experienced repeated failures, forcing unscheduled shutdowns.
3. Instability in Transmission Lines: The lack of structural maintenance leads to overloads that trigger automatic safety disconnections.

Impact on the Cuban Population

The massive blackout has paralyzed basic services such as water pumping, mobile communications, and commerce. Millions of Cuban families face the loss of refrigerated food and the sweltering March heat without ventilation. Social unrest continues to grow, following recent protests in cities like Morón.

What to Expect in the Coming Hours?

Authorities have begun the process of restoring the system by creating regional “microsystems” to try to progressively feed the main plants. However, this process is slow, and the risk of further crashes during startup is high.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How long will the restoration take? There is no official estimated time. In previous events, total restoration has taken between 48 and 72 hours, depending on the grid’s stability.

2. Is this the longest blackout on record? It joins a series of total collapses that have occurred since October 2024. The frequency of these events is unprecedented in the island’s recent history.

3. What is the government doing to solve it? The government is focused on managing emergency agreements for the arrival of fuel ships and carrying out essential repairs to the country’s oldest plants.

4. Does this blackout affect the entire country equally? Yes, a total disconnection (zero megawatts in the system) means that the entire country, except for critical centers with their own power generators, is left without service.

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Sources:

• Infobae: Cuba suffers second total blackout
• LA Times: Cuba suffers new national blackout
• Unión Eléctrica de Cuba (Official Channel)

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