Cuba Blackout Crisis: Cuba experienced its fourth nationwide blackout in five months on Friday, plunging the island into darkness and exacerbating the ongoing energy crisis. This latest power outage underscores the country’s fragile electricity infrastructure and the increasing hardships faced by its citizens.
Cuba Blackout Crisis Worsens with Fourth Nationwide Outage
At approximately 8:15 pm, a major breakdown in the western region of Cuba caused the national electricity grid to fail, leading to a complete blackout across the island, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz took to the social network X to assure the public that the government was “working tirelessly” to restore power. Despite these assurances, frustration and despair are mounting among residents who are no strangers to the lights going out.
Desperation Grows as Cuba Blackout Crisis Continues
In Havana, the familiar sight of darkened streets returned, with only a handful of hotels, private businesses with generators, and critical services like hospitals maintaining power.
Angelica Caridad Martinez, a 50-year-old resident from Camaguey, expressed her exhaustion with the constant outages. “I was about to have dinner when the power failed. I’m not even hungry anymore,” she told AFP. “This situation is unsustainable, no one can live like this.”
Similarly, Andres Lopez from Holguin voiced his frustration. “It really bugs me,” said the 67-year-old. “Let’s see when they get the power back on.”
Economic Hardships Amplify the Cuba Blackout Crisis
The recent blackout is just the latest symptom of Cuba’s worst economic crisis in three decades. With widespread shortages of food, medicine, and fuel, combined with skyrocketing inflation, daily life has become increasingly difficult for the island’s 9.7 million residents.
Three major nationwide blackouts occurred in the final months of 2024, two of which lasted for several days. The persistent outages are not limited to large-scale failures either—many Cubans face daily blackouts of four to five hours in Havana. In rural areas, power cuts can extend beyond 20 hours.
Aging Infrastructure Fuels the Cuba Blackout Crisis
Cuba’s power grid relies heavily on eight thermal power plants, most of which were built in the 1980s and 1990s and are prone to frequent breakdowns. Additionally, the nation depends on Turkish floating power barges, which require expensive imported fuel—a commodity often in short supply.
In October 2024, a catastrophic breakdown at the Guiteras plant, the island’s largest, left the entire country without electricity for four days. This same plant experienced another critical failure in December, again causing a nationwide blackout. Further compounding the crisis, Hurricane Rafael knocked out power across Cuba just a month prior.
US Trade Embargo Blamed for Cuba Blackout Crisis
Cuban authorities blame their persistent energy problems on the decades-long US trade embargo, which they argue restricts access to essential equipment and resources. The embargo, first imposed in the 1960s and intensified during Donald Trump’s presidency, remains a central talking point for the Cuban government in explaining the deteriorating situation.
Cuba Blackout Crisis Prompts Shift to Solar Power
In response to the ongoing energy crisis, Cuba is accelerating efforts to develop renewable energy sources. The government plans to install 55 solar farms using Chinese technology by the end of 2025. These projects aim to add 1,200 megawatts to the national grid, which would provide approximately 12% of the country’s total energy supply.
While the move toward renewable energy offers hope for long-term improvement, it provides little immediate relief for those currently enduring the relentless blackouts.
Citizens Demand Solutions to Cuba Blackout Crisis
For many Cubans, the latest blackout is yet another reminder of their daily struggle. The frequent power outages disrupt essential services, hinder businesses, and add to the growing sense of despair across the nation.
“We cannot live like this forever,” Martinez lamented. “Something must change, or people will continue to leave the country in search of a better life.”
As Cuba battles its energy crisis, the future remains uncertain. With an aging power infrastructure, economic hardship, and external trade barriers, the road to stable electricity remains a long and difficult one. For the people of Cuba, every blackout is a stark reminder of the urgent need for lasting solutions.
