Cuba’s largest power plant was knocked out of service, causing a complete failure of the country’s grid and leaving millions of people without electricity. Authorities are working to restore power.
A widespread blackout left Cuba in the dark and millions of people without electricity this Friday. The authorities have declared an “energy emergency situation” and guarantee that they are dedicating all their attention to resolving the “highly sensitive” situation for the country.
Thursday had already been marked by several serious blackouts in the country, and Unión Eléctrica, the state electricity company, confirmed that more than half of Cubans were without electricity. The government was forced to close schools and non-essential industries and send officials home in an attempt to keep the lights on during the blackouts.
This Friday, at 11 local time, the Antonio Guiteras power plant, the largest and most efficient in the country, was inaugurated. offline, causing a total failure of the country’s networkas revealed by the Ministry of Energy. Authorities did not reveal, however, what caused the failure.
After the unexpected departure of CTE Antonio Guiteras, today the 11th there was a total disconnection from the National Electroenergy System. The Electrical Union is working on its restoration.
— Ministry of Energy and Mines of Cuba ????????? (@EnergiaMinasCub) October 18, 2024
Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero stated this Thursday that the worsening of blackouts in recent weeks is due to the combination of three factors: deteriorated infrastructure, fuel shortages and growing demand. “The lack of fuel is the main factor,” he highlighted in television statements, according to the newspaper El País.
The Cuban government also blamed the United States trade embargo and sanctions introduced during Donald Trump’s presidency for difficulties in acquiring fuel and spare parts necessary to operate its plants. “The complex scenario is mainly caused by the intensification of the economic and financial war and the energy persecution of the United States,” he wrote the Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, in a publication on the social network X (formerly Twitter). An accusation that a spokesperson for the United States National Security Council has already denied.
The complex scenario we are going through has its main cause in the approach of the economic war and financial and energy persecution of the United States, which makes it difficult to import fuel and other resources necessary for this industry.
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— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) October 17, 2024
The Cuban authorities guarantee that they are taking all measures to try to restore electricity. “We will not rest until [a energia] be restored,” Miguel Díaz-Canel promised.
From the country’s leadership we are dedicating absolute priority to the attention and solution of this energy contingency that is so sensitive for the nation.
There will be no rest until its restoration. https://t.co/QbdZh43LRo
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) October 18, 2024
Source: Observadora
