Cuba News: Mass Power Outage Plunges Island Nation into Darkness After Major Grid Failure
HAVANA, CUBA — A cascading failure of Cuba's national electrical grid has resulted in a widespread power outage, leaving millions of residents across the island nation without electricity. The blackout began at approximately 11:00 AM local time on Friday, October 18, 2024, following the unexpected shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the country's largest and most critical power station.
According to the state-run electric utility, Unión Eléctrica (UNE), the initial plant failure triggered a chain reaction, disconnecting multiple major substations and cutting power to a vast majority of the population. Officials report that the entire region, from Pinar del Río in the west to Guantánamo in the east, has been severely affected, with no immediate timeline for full restoration.
The cause of the outage is under investigation, with preliminary reports citing a combination of aging infrastructure, chronic fuel shortages, and recent maintenance issues at the Antonio Guiteras facility. As night approaches, the government has mobilized emergency teams to prioritize power restoration for hospitals, water treatment plants, and other critical infrastructure. The blackout, described as one of the most severe in recent memory, underscores the deepening energy crisis in Cuba, as the island grapples with economic hardship and decaying Soviet-era power systems.