- A significant power plant failure caused a nationwide blackout in Cuba on Wednesday 5th December 2024, leaving millions without electricity and prompting the suspension of work and school activities.
- Cuba’s Energy Minister assured that power would be fully restored by Thursday following the outage caused by the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant shutdown.
A widespread power outage left Cuba in darkness on December 4, 2024, after one of the island’s key power plants failed. The failure disrupted electricity for millions, prompting authorities to indefinitely suspend work and school activities. The Electric Union, Cuba’s state-run power company, stated that the blackout was caused by the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant shutdown in Matanzas province, located east of Havana. The failure occurred just after 2 a.m., affecting the entire nation, according to the company’s statement on X (formerly Twitter).
In the early morning, power began to be gradually restored in some areas, including Havana, although much of the country remained without electricity. In a televised address, Cuba’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O, assured citizens that power would be fully restored by Thursday. The government has faced challenges maintaining a stable power supply, with frequent outages impacting daily life.
This recent blackout echoes a similar incident on October 18, 2024, when the island experienced a massive power failure compounded by Hurricane Oscar’s passage just days later. That outage left the nation without electricity for several days, highlighting the ongoing vulnerability of Cuba’s energy infrastructure. The situation raised concerns about the island’s capacity to ensure a consistent electricity supply, a problem worsened by ageing power plants, financial difficulties, and a reliance on imported fuel.
The blackout further strained Cuba’s energy system, which had been under pressure for years due to underinvestment and an inability to modernise its infrastructure fully. The government’s response to Wednesday’s outage indicates the continuing challenges in providing stable, reliable power for the population. Complete restoration is expected within a day, but many Cubans remain wary of further disruptions. As Cuba grapples with energy reliability issues, many citizens have called for long-term solutions to prevent such widespread blackouts from recurring.