Neighborhoods in Ciego de Ávila have been enduring over ten days without electricity due to faulty transformers that the power company is unable to replace because of a shortage of parts. Authorities have been unable to provide a timeline for resolving this issue.
Carlos Luis Arencibia Fernández, the technical director of the provincial Electric Company, acknowledged the seriousness of the situation in an interview with the local newspaper, Invasor.
"Today, there are areas in the municipality that have been without service for over 10 days due to damaged transformers," he admitted. The affected communities include La Piñera and Serafín Sánchez Cuarta.
The main issue is the lack of equipment to replace the damaged ones. "We don't have the transformers, not just in the province, but practically in the entire country," Arencibia explained.
Resource Shortages, Not Manpower, Cause Delays
Arencibia ruled out that the delays are due to a shortage of workers or fuel. "The main cause of the delay is the lack of resources... it's the physical resource of the damaged component," he stated.
The company is attempting to repair transformers at its provincial workshop, but until a replacement is available, they cannot tell families when power will be restored.
Overwhelmed by Daily Faults
The frequent outages are exacerbating the deterioration of the power grid. Arencibia mentioned that when a circuit is restored after long hours without electricity, thousands of users simultaneously connect appliances and charge batteries, leading to severe overloads that damage transformers, conductors, and connections.
Additionally, there is an overwhelming demand for repairs. Each day, more than 100 fault reports are received through the number 1888, but crews can only address between 55 and 75 of these.
"In the hour and a half that circuit X is operational, there's not enough time to cover all the interruptions in that area. That's why sometimes they pile up and take days to resolve," he acknowledged.
Energy Reserved for Essential Services
The situation is further complicated by a significant generation deficit. The available electricity barely suffices to maintain essential services like hospitals and water supply sources, according to the official.
"We're operating at a maximum outage level in the province that barely allows for maintaining services: hospitals, water supply sources, and what's left to rotate one or two circuits across the 10 municipalities. That's how it is," the technical director stated.
The shortage of transformers is not unique to Ciego de Ávila. In June, the National Electric Company acknowledged the physical unavailability of these devices in the provinces.
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, also admitted before the National Assembly that some Cuban communities have experienced up to 105 consecutive days without electricity due to damaged transformers.
Ciego de Ávila has been among the hardest-hit regions by the energy crisis for months. Since November 2025, the area has reported outages exceeding 20 hours daily, leaving families trapped between scheduled power cuts and faults that can extend for days without a resolution in sight.
Understanding the Power Crisis in Ciego de Ávila
What is causing the prolonged power outages in Ciego de Ávila?
The extended power outages are primarily due to damaged transformers that cannot be replaced because of a lack of available equipment.
How are the power outages affecting daily life?
The power outages are severely impacting daily life, causing interruptions in essential services like hospitals and water supplies, and leading to appliance and infrastructure damage due to overloads.
Is the transformer shortage a nationwide issue?
Yes, the shortage of transformers is a nationwide issue in Cuba, affecting multiple provinces, not just Ciego de Ávila.