Cuba's Capital Grinds to a Halt: National Blackout Forces School...

Qué pasó

A widespread national blackout has plunged Cuba into darkness, leading to the suspension of classes in the capital, Havana. The power outage began on Wednesday afternoon and has severely impacted the country's electrical system, leaving many areas without service for nearly 24 hours.

Dónde y cuándo

The incident originated from a technical failure at the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Power Plant in Matanzas on Wednesday. A broken pipe in the boiler caused a leak of water and gases, leading to a fire within the facility. This event triggered a collapse of the National Electrical System (SEN), affecting provinces like Pinar del Río, Matanzas, and Holguín, as well as Havana.

Por qué es importante

The blackout has significant implications for daily life in Cuba. Educational institutions in Havana have been forced to close, impacting thousands of students. The instability of the electrical grid also affects essential services such as hospitals, which are relying on backup power, and water supply, with pumping stations non-operational in several areas.

Qué dicen las partes

Román Pérez Castañeda, technical director of the Antonio Guiteras plant, stated that a broken boiler pipe caused the incident. Firefighters controlled the resulting fire. As of Thursday morning, the Havana Electric Company reported that 28 substations and 111 distribution circuits had been restored, serving approximately 335,794 customers. However, available power was only 38.9% of the city's demand, and the system remains unstable.

Qué viene ahora

Authorities are working to gradually restore power and stabilize the national energy system. School classes in Havana will remain suspended until normal conditions are re-established. Further updates on the repair progress and full system recovery are anticipated.