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Cuba’s power grid collapsed completely on Friday, leaving millions of people without electricity. The outage came as the United States has sharply restricted the country’s oil supplies.
According to Cuban authorities, the collapse was caused by a failure on high-voltage transmission lines in the center of the country. Felix Estrada, an official with the Cuban Electric Union (UNE), said protocols were being prepared to begin gradually restoring the system.
By evening, electricity had been restored in only a few areas of Havana, mainly near hospitals. Much of the city remained in darkness amid cloudy and rainy weather.
This was at least the sixth partial or total power-grid collapse recorded in Cuba since January. Many residents of the capital had already been without electricity for an extended period when the latest outage occurred.
Frank Lorenzo, a 23-year-old Havana resident, said he had spent 24 hours without electricity the previous day and that the grid collapsed again after power was restored for only one hour.
Cuba’s aging power-generation system has faced severe pressure for years because of fuel shortages and deteriorating infrastructure. The US oil blockade that began in January has further worsened power outages and increased the frequency of grid collapses.
The power grid collapsed three times in July. This was followed by rolling blackouts lasting 30 hours or more across most of the country.
United Nations human rights experts have described the US oil blockade as a violation of international law. They have warned that Cuba could become a “silent Gaza” as shortages and power outages intensify.
Cuba’s recurring blackouts reflect the combined impact of fuel constraints, aging generating facilities and weaknesses in the national transmission network. The outages have disrupted daily life and placed additional pressure on essential services, including hospitals and water systems.
