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A new collapse of the National Electric System (SEN) has left much of Cuba without electricity this Thursday, amid the imminent arrival of tropical storm Melissa. As the country braces for potential rain and strong winds, millions of Cubans are confronted with darkness and the lack of information from authorities, who once again acknowledge a "partial failure" in the system without providing clear explanations.
The Electric Union (UNE) reported on that there had been "a partial disconnection of the National Electric System (SEN)" and that the causes were being investigated; however, the statement, brief and ambiguous, only intensified users' outrage.
Within minutes, hundreds of comments flooded the post, reflecting the collective frustration of a country exhausted by daily blackouts and a lack of transparency.
“Leave it like that, since there’s never any electricity anyway,” one user quipped, while another summed up the general sentiment: “They’re already rehearsing before the cyclone hits.”
Other Cubans, caught between sarcasm and anger, questioned the official version: "Oscillation of what and partial for whom... you have no shame at all," wrote an internet user.
"I can't believe it... how long, gentlemen," added another, while a third remarked sarcastically: "Now it's partial, then it gets complicated, and bam, three days without power."
The digital scene became a mirror of national discontent. In every comment, irony, disbelief, and exasperation blend together in response to an electrical system that collapses at the slightest change in voltage.
"The fresh air ruffles SEN," joked someone, while another wondered why "the circuit behind Etecsa in the Cardozo neighborhood never goes down, no matter how much deficit there is in Villa Clara."
The blackout occurs at a particularly critical moment. According to the latest report from the SEN, the impact of generation deficit reached 1,818 MW, with an availability of barely 1,550 MW against a demand of 2,526 MW, leaving the system on the brink of total collapse. The lack of fuel and breakdowns in plants such as Felton, Mariel, Renté, and Santa Cruz have halted over 70 distributed generation plants.
This precarious situation is compounded by the threat of Melissa, which is slowly advancing over the central Caribbean with sustained winds of 85 km/h and could strengthen in the coming hours.
Both the Institute of Meteorology of Cuba (INSMET) and the National Hurricane Center of the United States (NHC) warned about possible intense rains, storm surges, and flooding in eastern Cuba over the weekend.
Amid the weather risk, Cubans remain without power or information, precisely when they need it the most. Without electricity, local radio stations and state television channels go off the air, communication networks weaken, and the population loses its main source of guidance and alerts.
While the government keeps stating that "the causes are being investigated," the entire country once again faces the same scene of uncertainty: a nation in the dark, without answers and on the brink of disaster, as nature threatens and the lights, quite literally, go out again.
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