Citizen discontent erupted on social media following a massive and unscheduled blackout that left almost all of Havana without electricity since 5:00 p.m. this Thursday, marking the second major failure of the electrical system in less than 24 hours.
The Electric Union (UNE) did not provide immediate explanations but later reported that the outage affected multiple 110 kV substations, including Naranjito, Apolo, Melones, San Agustín, and Talla Piedra, causing simultaneous blackouts in most of the municipalities in the capital. The transformers at Melones, crucial for energy supply, also went out of service.
The blackout left thousands of families without electricity or water. In neighborhoods like Alamar, there was still electricity, but in most parts of the city, the darkness, the heat, and the silence from the authorities only fueled frustration.
"This is criminal, a psychological war to wear down the people," denounced a user on Facebook.
"All day worrying about whether the water will come, if they'll turn on the electricity, what we're going to eat... This is a concentration camp," he added.
Other users responded with sarcasm or resignation. "God gives His toughest battles to His best warriors," one person scoffed. "I’m ready to receive insults," they added.
On platforms like X and Facebook, hundreds of Havana residents reported physical and emotional exhaustion and demanded answers.
"I'm already fed up, come on..., find a solution, how long will this last, like pin.... I have to make food for my son," wrote a desperate mother in the comments on the note about the blackout published by CiberCuba.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines confirmed the magnitude of the incident, which even affected the operation of key plants such as Mariel, Boca de Jaruco, and Energás Varadero, with an estimated loss of 400 MW. Additionally, the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant in Matanzas remains out of service, and its reintegration is only expected on Friday.
On Thursday, Cuba faced a record deficit of 2,065 MW, which extended power outages across the country for at least 12 continuous hours.
The Electric Company of Havana announced a new redistribution of affected areas in order to "balance the load," but this means that areas that have been less impacted until now will also experience prolonged power outages.
Meanwhile, thousands of Havana residents still lack access to drinking water due to the shutdown of pumping systems caused by a lack of energy.
With no immediate solution in sight, frustration is growing. "Havana can’t take it anymore," is seen in multiple publications.
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