Cuba confronted a nationwide blackout on Friday following the collapse of considered one of its main energy crops, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents at midnight. The disaster struck after the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant ceased operations, triggering a complete grid failure throughout the island and prompting the federal government to implement emergency measures, as reported by the Related Press.
Nevertheless, most of Cuba’s 10 million residents remained with out energy as officers from the grid operator UNE rushed to restart a number of oil-fired technology crops to revive electrical energy. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero introduced the closure of faculties and non-essential industries, sending most state staff residence in an effort to preserve energy.
Residents endured shortages of meals, gas, water, and drugs in the course of the blackout. “The ability went out at 8 within the morning and it’s now 5 within the afternoon and there’s no electrical energy anyplace,” mentioned Luis González, a 73-year-old retiree in Havana.
Throughout a televised handle, Marrero linked the blackout to a “excellent storm” of previous infrastructure, rising demand, and gas shortages. He mentioned, “The gas scarcity is the most important issue,” stating issues with getting restricted gas from offshore boats to energy crops, worsened by sturdy winds from Hurricane Milton. The federal government additionally blamed the US commerce embargo and sanctions from the Trump administration for making it laborious to get the gas and spare elements wanted for its oil-fired crops.
{The electrical} grid failure occurred simply hours after the Antonio Guiteras plant, Cuba’s largest and best, went offline. Officers are nonetheless investigating the reason for the collapse. In response to the blackout, the federal government activated emergency measures to chop energy demand, together with suspending lessons and cancelling leisure actions. This left residents pissed off and anxious, with many confined to their houses within the oppressive warmth. Brazilian vacationer Carlos Roberto Julio expressed his frustration, saying, “We went to a restaurant they usually had no meals as a result of there was no energy, now we’re additionally with out web.”
Regardless of the state of affairs, the Cuban authorities insisted it was prioritising efforts to revive energy. President Miguel Díaz-Canel wrote on X, “We’re devoting absolute precedence to addressing and fixing this extremely delicate vitality contingency. There shall be no relaxation till its restoration.”
As Havana descended into darkness, some areas of the capital skilled sparkles of sunshine returning, primarily in main hospitals. Though the federal government started to revive energy throughout the island following the widespread blackout, many Cubans continued to face challenges of their day by day lives.
