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The Electric Union (UNE) reported this Thursday that the partial collapse of the National Electric System (SEN) was caused by “an oscillation” that led to the partial disconnection of several areas of the country.
According to the latest update from the agency posted on Facebook, the SEN is "operating steadily and fully" and "60% of the affected circuits have already been restored," although the restoration continues.
The message, however, did not provide further details about the causes of the incident or the affected provinces, which led to an outpouring of criticism and sarcastic comments from users on social media.
"Leave it like that; after all, there's never any electricity," wrote an internet user. Another one joked, "They are already rehearsing before the cyclone hits."
The power outage occurs at an especially critical moment. According to the latest technical report from the SEN, the impact due to generation deficit reached 1,818 MW, with a availability of only 1,550 MW against a demand of 2,526 MW.
This left the system on the brink of total collapse, with over 70 distributed generation plants out of service due to lack of fuel or breakdowns at facilities like Felton, Mariel, Renté, and Santa Cruz.
The constant failures and power outages have turned blackouts into a national routine. In many provinces, the cuts exceed 10 hours daily, affecting hospitals, industries, and homes.
The arrival of tropical storm Melissa worsens the situation.
With sustained winds of 85 km/h and the potential to intensify, the weather phenomenon threatens to bring heavy rains, storm surges, and flooding to eastern Cuba over the weekend, according to alerts from the Cuban Meteorology Institute (INSMET) and the National Hurricane Center of the United States (NHC).
In the midst of the emergency, millions of Cubans remain without power or information, precisely when they need it the most. Without electricity, local stations and state-run channels are off the air, communications weaken, and the population loses its primary source of guidance and alerts.
The collapse of the SEN once again highlights the structural fragility of the Cuban energy system, which has deteriorated after years of mismanagement, lack of investment, and dependence on fuel supply.
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