Image: from Neptune X @NeptuneIntel
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies | March 5, 2026
HAVANA — A massive power failure swept across the majority of Cuba on Wednesday, leaving the capital city and several provinces in total darkness. The state-run electric utility, Unión Eléctrica (UNE), confirmed that a sudden malfunction at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant—the nation’s largest power generator—triggered the collapse of the electrical grid.
The blackout stretches from Pinar del Río in the far west to the central-eastern province of Camagüey. Preliminary reports indicate that repairs to the Guiteras facility, located approximately 100 kilometers east of Havana, could take between three and four days. Technical Director Román Pérez cited leaks in the boiler’s superheater as the primary cause of the shutdown.
The timing of the failure exacerbates an already dire economic situation for the Communist-run island. Havana has faced mounting pressure from the Trump administration, which has successfully curtailed international oil shipments. The crisis deepened in early January following the ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Cuba’s primary oil supplier, and was further complicated when Mexico halted supplies under the threat of U.S. tariffs.
While many residents in Havana have grown accustomed to rolling blackouts and state-mandated rationing, the scale of this total grid failure briefly knocked state television off the air and disabled most traffic lights. Businesses equipped with private generators or solar panels remained partially operational, but the general population struggled with a total loss of communication.
“The grid going dark should not be considered normal,” said Arián Mendoza, a 28-year-old engineer in Havana. “I don’t think it’s right.”
The Cuban government continues to attribute the recurring energy crisis to decades of U.S. economic sanctions, which they argue have prevented necessary investment in the country’s aging infrastructure. With fuel scarcity now affecting essential services like trash collection and public transport, many Cubans are turning to independent solar solutions to navigate an increasingly unreliable national power supply.