Cuba Suffers Another Nationwide Power Failure
HAVANA TIMES – The island is in darkness again. Around 8:15 p.m. on March 14, 2025, a failure at the Diezmero substation caused a significant generation loss in the western part of the country, leading to the collapse of the National Power Grid, said the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
According to the forecast of the Electric Union (UNE) for March 14, during peak hours, 42% of the country’s total service would be interrupted. Seven thermoelectric units (out of the 16 in existence) were out of service due to failures and maintenance, while 73 generator groups were unable to operate due to a lack of fuel.
Vicente de la O Levy, Minister of Energy and Mines, wrote on his social network at 11:15 p.m. that micro-systems were already functioning in ten provinces.
This is the fourth time in five months that the island has been left in total darkness. In recent years, however, the electrical situation has become critical, with routine blackouts lasting over 20 hours a day in many localities.
On October 18, 2024, the first recent national disconnection occurred. At that time, authorities stated that the “Antonio Guiteras” Thermoelectric Power Plant (CTE) suffered an “unexpected shutdown” that caused the collapse. Restoring the system took four days.
On November 6, 2024, while Hurricane Rafael was making landfall in Cuba, the national power grid was disconnected again. A month later, on December 4, the “Antonio Guiteras” plant caused another collapse due to an “automatic system failure.” That time, Cubans expressed their frustration through pot-banging protests and public demonstrations.
Presient Miguel Diaz-Canel continues to bet on the island’s electrical salvation coming from 1,000 MW of solar panel energy in 2025. So far, only two photovoltaic parks of 21.8 MW each have been installed. Canel assured that by March 2025, seven more would be inaugurated, a goal that remains to be seen.
First published in Spanish by El Toque and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.
James! As a frequent tourist to Cuba I’m very conflicted if I’m still wanted or not? If, by going to Cuba I take away electricity from Cubans? Am I hated because I have ” luxury” vacation and Cubans don’t?
You know, I pay top dollars for place which has limited food selection, limited alcohol, resorts are semi dark… So should we all take our dollars and go to Mexico for real luxury vacation? But wait? What will happen to tens of thousands of people working in resorts? Will they lose a job? Lose tips we give? No more free stuff from tourists?! So, don’t blame tourists for this situation, because we pay to have electricity and we are not to blame for political situation in the country. You think that, by taking tourists away, closing resorts, Cubans will have electricity? Nothing will change, but if I go to Cuba 2 times a year loaded with gifts, I will make a difference for few people. Same money I could spend in Dominican Republic, in Mexico, in other country. Don’t make me guilty, because I’m that darm tourist!
For your information, I grew up in communism and I know exactly how it works.
Sad Reality: Humans have been growing wheat since 9600 BC., never mind 500 years ago, and rice shortly after that. The socialist dictatorial Cuban regime have the means of production in their hands, and no one else. Yet, they are total buffoons and do nothing but steal whatever they can get their hands on, and only leave the crumbs to their own people.
Don’t be fooled by thinking all of the country went dark: as reported by another paper –
“With Cubans in the dark, the Ministry of Tourism assures that its hotels have electricity.
Havana residents report that tourist facilities are distinguishable among the few illuminated buildings in the city’s darkness. Shortly after the Cuban electrical system collapsed on Friday night, March 14, the Ministry of Tourism ( MINTUR ) assured that its hotels had guaranteed power supplies even though the entire population, including several hospitals, remained in the dark .
In a statement published on its social media profiles, the organization stated that “the Cuban tourism system has solid energy support that guarantees the continued operation of hotels, non-hotel facilities, and associated services.”
Meanwhile there are three ships docked at the port in Matanzas for a week now – at least two of which are full of fuel.
The regime cares about itself and nothing more. Castroism was a scam.
The ancient Antonio Guiteras plant, on which much of the national grid depends, is a lost cause! It is past time the Cuban government, if it had any sense, would stop throwing money at it in so-called “repairs”. What kind of repair only last for weeks? The most sensible thing to do at this critical point is for the government to seriously negotiate with China, which is famous for fast emergency construction, to build a new power plant. Russia might also be able to do this, given its exceptional ability to completely reconstruct the destroyed city of Mariupol in Donbass in less than a year after it was captured from Ukraine.
The Raul Castro – Diaz-Canel cabal has distinguished itself as the most inept and incompetent government that Cuba has ever had. It should not take its continued stay in power for granted! It may very well be destined to fall just like the Assad regime in Syria, given its idiotic dolarization policies, the abandonment of national agriculture and substitution with foreign imports, the abysmal performance in crisis-management and squandering of resources in the face of intensified sanctions and economic warfare by the US. The fatal decision to invest in new hotels while critical infrastructure was collapsing in the country will continue to haunt it. But the Cuban people will not continue to bear the brunt of the government’s mistakes, its corruption and being out of touch with reality. The Cuban masses did not ask for luxury hotels to be built at all cost. They did not ask for luxury supermarkets to be opened in partnership with foreign capitalists that accept only foreign currency. The socialist enterprise has been betrayed. There is no workers’ democracy. No forum for popular input. The so-called Peoples Power parliament only rubber stamps whatever and gives applause on demand by Raul. No benefits whatsoever for the Cuban masses. It’s all government by the PCC for rich tourists and rich Euro-capitalists. The degenerate Raul Castro and his puppet Diaz-Canel will go down in history as the grave-diggers of the 1959 revolution that generations sacrificed for!
To the commentator above, nothing will happen…. If Cubans were able to fix this situation themselves, they would of done it already. The very sad reality is that for whatever reason, they’re just incapable of having a functional society, although having a deranged leadership doesn’t help. The human capital is gone, Cuba is 100% entirely dependent on outsiders to get fed, or get anything done really. How useless must you be not to be able to grow wheat? Humans across the world were growing wheat 500 years ago, and yet Cuba 21st century is still unable too. That’s the reality of things. Once neoliberalism stops being their sugar daddy, they cease to exist. The fact that the US has just removed USAID to subsidize third-world food consumption means many countries will start starving in the foreseeable future. A lot of flour and some food condiments were grown and manufactured in Canada/US, paid by the US government, and exported to the leadership (puppets) of third-world countries, and given to the people without any thought on their part (the people) on where the food actually came from. Sad reality of human nature when you think about it. Only certain countries and ethnicities can function properly it seems, most countries find themselves in permanent chaos unless given help, whether it be technology or food. Total humiliation of Cubans for the world to see.
How much do the people in Cuba need to suffer before major economic reform happens in Cuba. Look at the power systems in Europe Canada Mexico while not perfect it better than the systems in Cuba or the United States in my opinion. People are are telling me both in las tunas and gibara that things are not safe and what chicken there is may spoil
Gasoline this morning is 1100 pesos per liter if available for smaller generators. A friend of mine bought 10 liters of gasoline with 9000 pesos to keep a supply ahead enough fuel for 20 hours of generator operation or 3 days using 40 minutes on 3 hours off . This the same wage that a nurse gets in 5 weeks or the cost of 2 bottles of medicine in Mexico I think major things need to happen in Cuba.