On Wednesday, a significant blackout affected two-thirds of Cuba, including Havana, as reported by the National Electric Union (UNE). The outage occurred at 12:41 PM local time due to a malfunction in the boiler of the Antonio Guiteras power plant, located about 100 km from the capital, resulting in power cutbacks across ten of the fifteen provinces. Reportedly, this is part of an ongoing struggle for the island, which has faced five widespread blackouts since the end of 2024.

The situation is exacerbated by Cuba's severe economic crisis, which has been worsened by an energy blockade imposed by the United States. Regular outages are attributed to the aging infrastructure of the electrical grid combined with a fuel scarcity that plagues the nation. The ministry of Energy and Mines confirmed that all protocols for restoring the national electrical system are activated, indicating a response to attempt to regain normalcy in energy supply.

Cuban residents are experiencing significant disruptions, including non-working traffic lights in Havana, showcasing the extensive impact of the blackout on daily life. This incident underscores the compounded challenges the Cuban government faces in managing its energy resources and addressing the repercussions of long-standing economic pressures rooted in both internal and external factors.