Havana Plunged into Darkness: Widespread Blackout Hits Western Cuba

The western region of Cuba experienced a massive power outage, plunging the capital, Havana, into complete darkness. The entire city was left without electricity, sparking uncertainty about the cause of the incident, which remains under investigation.

"Early this morning, the National Electric System (SEN) experienced a disconnection in the western part of the island, affecting several provinces from Cienfuegos to Pinar del Río. As a result, Havana faced a total blackout; there is currently no electric service. The Electric Union (UNE) is investigating to restore power as soon as possible," the Havana Electric Company announced on social media.

At the time of writing, the causes of the power failure in western Cuba remain unknown. The capital's Electric Company urged residents to stay informed through official channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, ToDus, and the platforms of X and Facebook, as well as by calling the customer service line at 18888.

In an update, state journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso reported on social media that the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant was operational, though he did not specify if the plant had been previously disconnected from the SEN. He also noted that power was gradually being restored, but provinces like Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Havana, and Mayabeque were still without electricity at the time.

Furthermore, in the latest update at 7:00 pm Cuban time, UNE stated that the national electric system had 1,389 megawatts (MW) available to meet a demand of 3,329 MW, resulting in a shortage affecting 1,972 MW. The company, led by Alfredo López Valdés, mentioned that unit 6 of the Diez de Octubre thermoelectric plant in Nuevitas and unit 3 of the Antonio Maceo (Rente) plant had synchronized operations at 3:45 pm and 5:07 pm, respectively.

Recent trends indicate an escalation in power outages across the country. On Monday, the SEN reported a generation deficit exceeding 2,000 MW. Throughout the day, electricity service was disrupted for 24 hours, with a peak deficit of 2,105 MW at 7:00 pm.

Havana's Electric Company has been notifying users of daily disruptions due to the system's low availability for weeks, forcing interruptions to scheduled programs.

In mid-September, Cuba experienced its fifth nationwide blackout in less than a year, highlighting the fragility of the SEN and the regime's inability to resolve a crisis affecting the daily lives of millions.

Days earlier, a massive SEN failure caused a general blackout in eastern Cuba, leaving several provinces without electricity and impacting the west, particularly unit 6 of the Mariel thermoelectric plant, when the 220 kV Nuevitas-Tunas line tripped, disconnecting the system completely from Las Tunas to Guantánamo. Alonso reported that the disconnection was due to "adverse weather conditions" and very low generation in the eastern region at the time.

By late October, after Hurricane Melissa, Cuba's electric system was again severely compromised, causing another disconnection in the eastern region and widespread blackouts nationwide.

As November began, power started to be gradually restored in the eastern part of the country, reaching 50% service by the end of the first week, while the national deficit continued to grow. This situation created a new imbalance: as eastern provinces slowly regained SEN connection, central and western regions faced more frequent and prolonged outages, once again exposing the systemic vulnerabilities.