Cuba Experiences Largest Blackout in Recent Years

As of Friday, October 18, Cuba is experiencing one of the largest blackouts in recent years, with most of the country without electricity for over 36 hours. Power is gradually being restored but is intermittent in different regions. Recovery of the system continues.

The massive blackout suffered by Cuba began after the main thermoelectric plant went out of operation.

In the last few minutes, the Ministry of Energy and Mines gave an update on its X account that in the SEN restoration process, there is a system formed between Matanzas and Holguin. The electrical coverage depends on generation capacity, which will continue to increase today.

Authorities have not provided a timeline for full restoration, but they are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Recently, the Cuban government has been making efforts to strengthen the electrical system, which has suffered significantly due to a lack of supplies and maintenance materials. However, the country’s challenging economic situation—largely a consequence of U.S. policies—often hampers even basic actions like purchasing fuel for power plants.

Allied nations have been instrumental in providing support. This summer, China donated three photovoltaic parks to help modernize the national grid, while Russia has previously sent oil tankers. Mexico has also sold fuel to Cuba at subsidized rates. While this assistance has been valuable, it is not enough. The government in Havana asserts that such support would not be necessary if the U.S. were to lift its blockade and remove Cuba from the “state list of sponsors of terrorism” to which it does not belong.

Cuban officials have repeatedly called for Washington to lift the suffocating sanctions and allow the country to purchase lifesaving supplies, yet once again their pleas fall on deaf ears. Presidents Trump and Biden have continued to strangle Cuba’s economy with more than 236 sanctions on top of the embargo.

The corporate mainstream media has reported the blackouts but fails to mention the real cause of the problems – the continuation of 62 years of sanctions.