The Cuban regime confirmed that it will maintain the current blackout rotation scheme in Havana, instead of implementing new alternatives, after acknowledging that the national electric system remains on the brink of collapse.
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, stated that the current schedule is “the one that works best” and promised that, given the limited amount of available fuel, the government will try to adhere to the established times so that the population can “better plan”.
“There is a phenomenon that is very frustrating,” acknowledged the minister in the state television, “which is that the rotation of the circuits is planned, primarily here in Havana, and then it cannot be fulfilled. This extends the blackout hours and causes dissatisfaction.”
De la O Levy explained that, with the newly distributed fuel in Havana, Matanzas, and Santiago de Cuba, the aim is to maintain the rotation of the electrical blocks without introducing changes.
According to the statement, the outages will begin at 10:00 AM, with blocks of four hours of disruption, which will continue into the afternoon and, if necessary, into the early morning.
We made other variations, but in the end we returned to the original, which is the one that works best —he stated—. If it is fulfilled, a major problem is solved: our community and all of us are affected, but if we know when the outage will occur, we can plan better. The blackout is bothersome, but if the schedule is adhered to, the situation is greatly mitigated.
The minister reiterated that the country is facing a severe fuel shortage and that the SEN "remains very weak," following the sudden shutdown of several thermoelectric plants and the inactivity of over 600 MW of distributed generation due to a lack of diesel.
"The fuel won't last for the entire month of October", he warned, confirming that the current supply only guarantees operations for a few days.
The announcement comes after a week of severe blackouts and protests in several neighborhoods of the capital, where residents have taken to the streets to demand the restoration of services. In municipalities such as Centro Habana, Cerro, and Marianao, the sounds of pots and the cries of “We want light!” have echoed during the most critical nights.
Despite the promise to "stick to the schedules," the blackouts will continue as long as generation availability does not improve. De la O Levy admitted that the plan only aims to organize the blackouts, not reduce them, in a country where the lack of electricity and political credibility are progressing at the same pace.
When the blackouts were "bearable"
The recent statements by Vicente de la O Levy regarding the seriousness of the electrical system contrast with the tone he used less than a year ago when he described the blackouts as "bearable."
In May 2024, during a visit to the Felton thermoelectric plant in Holguín, the minister assured state television that although the power outages were "an inconvenience," they were still within "tolerable levels."
At that moment, he acknowledged interruptions of up to 17 and 18 hours in some provinces but insisted that the rotation of circuits would allow for a "fair distribution" of the outages.
"The blackout is indeed an inconvenience, but there are levels that are bearable", De la O Levy stated at that time to the local channel Tele Cristal.
The minister attributed the situation to planned maintenance and "logistical problems" in the distribution of fuel, denying that there was a real shortage of hydrocarbons. "I am not saying that we currently face a lack of fuel," he stated, holding the difficulties of land and maritime transportation of diesel responsible.
In that same interview, De la O Levy denied "false rumors" about the loss of supplies from allied countries such as Venezuela, Mexico, Iran, and Russia, and referred to the information published by media and independent experts regarding the deterioration of the electrical system as "ignorance."
“What they publish is ignorance. We laugh and continue working, fully convinced that we can resolve it,” he said, downplaying external warnings about an imminent collapse of the National Electric System (SEN).
That rhetoric of denial now confronts an unsustainable reality: the minister himself admits that the country does not have enough fuel to sustain October and that the SEN is "very weak."
The contrast between the discourse of the past and current conditions reflects the deep disconnection between the official narrative and the daily experience of millions of Cubans who endure increasingly prolonged blackouts, in a system that is becoming exhausted both technically and politically.
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