Following the United States taking over Venezuela’s oil exports, Cuba, which heavily relies on Venezuelan oil to sustain its economy, is facing a severe fuel shortage crisis. On Wednesday, March 4th, this communist island nation experienced a massive power outage once again due to an electricity grid failure, affecting most areas including the capital, Havana.
The Cuban National Electric Union (UNE) stated that the blackout was caused by a sudden breakdown at one of the country’s major power plants, the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, and they are working hard to restore services.
The company announced on the social platform X that the power outage stretched from the central province of Camaguey all the way to the westernmost province of Pinar del Rio, plunging millions of people into darkness.
According to local media citing the technical director of the power plant, Roman Perez, it may take at least 72 hours to repair the Guiteras plant. He stated, “The current main goal is to address the boiler superheater failure and leakage issues to reduce water consumption.”
The Cuban Ministry of Energy reported that the Felton 1 thermoelectric plant in the eastern province of Holguin is still operational and has initiated the process of full power restoration.
Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz posted on social media platform X expressing confidence that the authorities can overcome the situation soon. The United States embassy issued a safety warning, pointing out the increasingly unstable Cuban electricity grid with frequent blackouts almost daily, advising American citizens in Cuba to prepare accordingly and conserve fuel and water.
It is reported that the Cuban power system is in chaos. Due to a lack of fuel needed for power generation, some areas experiencing daily blackouts lasting up to 20 hours have become the norm.
Currently, this country with a population of about ten million is in an extremely tense period. Since the United States captured Venezuelan President Maduro earlier this year, Cuba’s energy shortages have worsened. Venezuela has been Cuba’s most important ally, providing around half of the country’s fuel.
Due to the fuel shortage, the government has implemented rationing measures for critical services like waste collection and public transportation. With fuel prices soaring, some residents have installed solar panels on their homes and vehicles to maintain basic electricity needs.