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Cuba experienced a nationwide power outage on Friday night after a failure at the Diezmero substation triggered a collapse of the country’s already fragile electrical grid. The blackout affected more than 10 million residents, leaving homes, streets, and buildings in complete darkness.
Havana in Total Darkness
“At around 8:15 p.m. tonight, a failure at the Diezmero substation caused a significant loss of generation in the west of Cuba and with it the failure of the National Electric System,” Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines confirmed in a statement. Officials assured that efforts to restore power were underway.
Footage in the capital, Havana, showed entire neighborhoods enveloped in darkness. Residents were seen using electric torches to navigate the streets, a stark reminder of the country’s ongoing struggles with its aging power infrastructure.
A Recurring Crisis in Cuba
This latest blackout adds to a series of energy failures that have plagued the Caribbean island, which continues to grapple with deteriorating infrastructure, natural disasters, and economic hardships.
For nearly a week in October, Cuba suffered prolonged and near-total blackouts—the worst in decades. In late 2024, the country endured a string of nationwide outages, pushing its outdated power system to the brink. Hours-long rolling blackouts have since become routine, affecting daily life and essential services.
Cuban officials have repeatedly pointed to U.S. economic sanctions as a major factor in the energy crisis. These restrictions, which intensified under former President Donald Trump, have further weakened the island’s struggling energy sector, authorities claim.
Cuba Electricity Failures Continue
However, critics argue that the Cuban government’s lack of investment in infrastructure is to blame for the worsening situation. The communist-led administration has faced mounting pressure to modernize the grid, but financial constraints and policy decisions have hindered progress.
Even before Friday’s blackout, Cuba had been dealing with widespread electricity disruptions. On Thursday, power outages lasted much of the day, with the Cuba Electricity Union attributing the failures to plant breakdowns and fuel shortages.
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