Cuba’s power system has failed due to a shutdown at its top electricity producer, leaving the entire country without power. The Antonio Guiteras power plant in Matanzas shut down early Wednesday morning, prompting a nationwide grid collapse. This is the latest in a series of outages that have plagued the island nation, which is already struggling with fuel shortages and economic crisis.
Fuel imports from key suppliers, including Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico, have dwindled this year, contributing to multiple blackouts in recent months. The country’s oil-fired power plants are struggling to meet demand, and the situation has reached a critical point.
The blackout left Havana almost completely dark, with only a few large hotels and government buildings having working lights. Reports on social media suggest that widespread outages have affected the entire island of over 10 million people, although official confirmation is pending.
To address the crisis, Cuba’s energy ministry is working to reconnect the electrical system. This is not the first time the grid has failed; it collapsed multiple times in October and again in November due to Hurricane Oscar and Rafael, respectively.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/04/cuba-national-grid-collapses-leaving-millions-without-electricity