The United States embassy in Cuba issued an alert on Friday night for its citizens on the Island, informing them of the widespread blackout affecting the entire territory, following the unexpected shutdown of the Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the largest in the country.
"Today, the entire electricity grid in Cuba went down due to the failure of one of the main power plants in the country. It is still unknown when the supply will be restored. Emergency services are expected to continue operating, but U.S. citizens in Cuba or those planning to travel should take precautions," the diplomatic mission warned.
U.S. embassy officials also deemed it important to alert their citizens that, in addition to the collapse of the national electric power system (SEN), “failures in internet and cellular phone services are also being reported.”
In light of such an emergency situation, officials recommended staying informed through local media, storing water and food, keeping phones charged, reviewing contingency plans, and maintaining frequent contact with family and friends.
In that regard, the embassy provided the phone numbers for consular assistance in Havana (+53 7 839-4100; after hours dial 1, then 0) and the email acshavana@state.gov.
In addition, they shared the contact phone number for the Office of Consular Affairs of the Department of State (888-407-4747, or 202-501-4444) and recommended registering on the website http://step.state.gov to receive security updates and information about Cuba.
This Saturday, the SEN collapsed completely again in the morning, undermining the minimal progress made to restore it after the widespread blackout that occurred on Friday at noon.
CNN correspondent in Havana, Patrick Oppmann, confirmed the event on his social media. "Just hours after the authorities said that electricity was being restored slowly, Cuba suffered another nationwide blackout on Saturday morning," he stated.
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