On Thursday, October 17, the Electric Union of Cuba (UNE) forecasted outages of 1,678 MW. The following day, at 11 a.m., the country's largest thermoelectric plant, Guitera in Matanzas, was disconnected, leading to a total collapse of the national power system (SEN) that left the Island completely in the dark for three consecutive days.
From then on, Cubans lived a nightmare, immersed in the chaos and anguish of being without electricity in their homes. The country came to a standstill; classes were suspended, and all non-essential work activities ceased. For 72 hours, everyone was focused on the restoration of the National Electric System, which, to this day, remains incomplete.
Concerned about the potential spoilage of the limited food in their refrigerators, the interruption of the water supply, charging their cell phones, and staying informed about the progress of Hurricane Oscar, as well as mitigating the impact on the elderly, children, and the sick, the Cubans experienced genuine distress.
This Thursday, alarms were raised once again with the report from the UNE announcing "impacts" close to 1,600 MW, news that was received by Cubans as an ominous sign of an impending total collapse of the national electricity system (SEN), which, considering recent experiences, could be imminent.
To the greater dismay of the population, this Thursday the Electric Company of Havana announced on its social media the need to "affect the service, due to an emergency, for the customers in the capital," a privileged percentage of Cubans who have been experiencing the energy crisis that began in 2019 with fewer blackouts than their fellow citizens.
While the residents of Block 2 were notified of extraordinary power outages lasting four hours (from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM), those in Blocks 3 and 4 will face an additional hour of "impact" (from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM).
Additionally, this Thursday, residents of several neighborhoods in Havana will experience an eight-hour blackout due to "maintenance activities."
These "scheduled interruptions" will affect residents from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM in the following areas: La Güinera (Arroyo Naranjo municipality); Reparto Abel Santamaría (Boyeros); Calle 31 in front of the Military Unit 1700, Alberro (Cotorro); Monumental km 13, Reparto Kala Kala (Guanabacoa); Carretera de Justiz, Vía Blanca, Santa Bárbara (Havana del Este); Reparto San Agustín (La Lisa); within Ciudad Libertad (Marianao); Calle 11, between 130 and 146, Cubanacán (Playa); Calle 35, Ave. Colón, from 35 to 6, Calle 39, Loma and Bella Vista, from Lombillo to Santa Ana, from Panorama to Avenida Independencia (Plaza); and La Rosalía at Miranda and 2da, San Francisco de Paula (San Miguel del Padrón).
This situation in the capital, combined with the power outages forecasted for this Thursday and the news that nine thermal power units are disconnected from the National Electric System due to breakdowns and maintenance—one more than the day before—leads Cubans to fear that the outlook for electricity generation in the country is darkening once again.
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