Western Cuba faces blackout as government seeks to update energy grid

The western side of the Caribbean island, which includes the capital Havana, was temporarily affected by a second blackout that had temporarily affected Cuba’s ability to access power.

The blackout began at 5am local time (10:00 GMT), according to the nation’s Ministry of Energy and Mines on Wednesday. At around 1:26 p.m. (18:26 GMT), it declared that all systems had been restored.

Millions of people remained in the dark for hours as the government worked to restore power to a region that stretched from the province of Pinar del Rio’s western border to Mayabeque, which is located just east of Havana.

The public was reassured throughout the morning that the electricity would soon be restored.

The Ministry of Energy and Mines employees immediately began restoration efforts, which are already underway, according to Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, who posted a statement on social media.

“We are aware of their extraordinary efforts to make this happen as quickly as possible.”

However, power outages have been a frequent source of consternation and a sign of Cuba’s crumbling electrical system.

At least five major power grid failures shook island life in 2024, causing a rare wave of protests against the government in cities like Santiago de Cuba.

A major blackout in September, which was caused by a malfunctioning thermoelectric plant, has continued into 2025.

Grid has numerous pressures.

The National Electric System (SEN) in Cuba is aging. The power grid is viewed as outdated in large part, with a significant use of fossil fuels from sources like Venezuela.

The infrastructure is mostly constructed during the Cold War. Construction increased there in the 1980s, and by 1989, the grid had reached 95% of all households.

In addition to its current energy production system, Cuba has recently invested in renewable energy.

For instance, the Caribbean island signed a deal with China to start 92 solar farms by 2028 in April 2024. The first of those solar installations was inaugurated in February of this year.

However, hurricanes and other natural disasters continue to impede the island’s electricity supply.

For instance, Hurricane Imelda sprang through the Caribbean Sea in late September, causing at least two fatalities in Cuba.

Then, in October, Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms ever, struck Cuba once more.

By the time it made landfall in Cuba, the hurricane had slowed to a Category 3 storm, but it still blasted the island with more flash floods, causing thousands of homes to be lost and thousands of people to be displaced.

Additionally, Cuban officials have accused the United States of aiding the island’s deteriorating infrastructure.

Cuba has been subject to a broad-reaching embargo by the US since 1962, which critics claim has harmed the island’s economy.

According to reports of human rights violations under the Cuban government, the administration of US President Donald Trump has continued to impose the sanctions despite efforts to loosen them in recent years.

However, as part of an annual appeal, a majority vote at the UN General Assembly once more authorized the US to ratify a non-binding resolution in October.

According to the resolution, the economic sanctions are disproportionately punitive.

President blames US “blockade”

On Wednesday, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel cited that justification as obstacles to the proper operation of the electrical grid, along with the recent storms.

The Ministry of Energy and Mines employees, who never rest despite the daily strains brought on by the blockade and the recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa, are already working to address the problem, Diaz-Canel wrote. We have faith in them once more.

Diaz-Canel has been subject to significant pressure from blackouts and public unrest since taking office in 2019.

In protest of the island’s worsening economic conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of Cubans took to the streets in 2021 to protest the island’s deteriorating circumstances. The island’s frequent blackouts were one of the complaints that they made.

A record-setting mass exodus from Cuba followed those protests. Although estimates vary for the island’s population, government statistics show that there were roughly 11, 113, and 215 residents overall in 2021.

As of 2024, that number has plummeted to 9, 748, 532. That suggests a significant population decline of more than 12%, most of it due to island migration.

The US Customs and Border Protection agency has documented a rise in Cuban arrivals, which corresponds to that increase.

The organization reported 200, 287 “encounters” with Cuban migrants trying to enter the United States for fiscal year 2023. For fiscal year 2024, that number rose to 217, 615.

Source: Aljazeera