Havana: A blackout left millions of people in western Cuba, including Havana, without electricity on Wednesday, authorities said. The national electric company stated that the power went out in the early hours of Wednesday in several provinces.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Havana, home to 1.7 million people, is among the affected areas as "there is no electricity," the company confirmed. This incident adds to the woes of a country already grappling with an economic crisis and has endured five nationwide blackouts since late 2024, some lasting several days.
Cuban residents face daily power outages that sometimes extend beyond 20 hours. The national power grid is aging, with Cuba's eight power plants constructed in the 1980s or 90s. Despite the construction of thirty solar plants with assistance from China, these measures have not alleviated the blackout situation.
Cuba's communist government attributes the difficulties in repairing the national power grid to the US trade embargo in place since 1962. Economists also point to a lack of government investment in the power system as a contributing factor.