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Cuba woke up on Sunday, January 25, once again plunged into widespread blackouts, amidst a structural electrical crisis for which the government's management is directly responsible.
According to the Informative Note from Unión Eléctrica (UNE), on Saturday the service was affected for 24 hours. The maximum impact due to a generation capacity deficit reached 1969 MW at 6:20 PM, exceeding the forecasted 1845.
This Sunday, at 6:00 am, the availability of the National Electric System was 1280 MW, against a demand of 2230 MW, leaving 955 MW out of service. By noon, an even greater impact is anticipated, reaching 1100 MW.
The technical condition of the system continues to deteriorate.
Six generating units from the thermal power plants Mariel, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Nuevitas, Felton, and Antonio Maceo remain out of service due to breakdowns, while two others in Santa Cruz and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes are undergoing maintenance.
On the other hand, the limitations in thermal generation reach 450 MW unavailable.
Although the entry of unit 3 of the Antonio Maceo CTE (Renté) with 45 MW is anticipated, the outlook for the night remains critical.
For the peak nighttime hours, the official report estimates a supply of only 1325 MW, compared to a maximum demand of 3100 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1775 MW.
If those conditions persist, the actual impact could reach up to 1805 MW during the night.
Meanwhile, the 49 photovoltaic solar parks contributed a total production of 3,454 MWh, with a maximum output of 613 MW during peak hours, a figure that is clearly insufficient to offset the collapse of conventional generation.
In Havana, the Electric Company confirmed that on Saturday, the service was disrupted for 18 hours and 25 minutes.
The maximum impact was 448 MW at 6:45 PM, and it was not possible to restore the service due to a generation deficit. Additionally, 150 MW were affected by an emergency.
At the close of the report, three blocks and 80 MW of emergency power remained out of service, for a total of 183 MW affected.
The company warned that if the availability of the SEN does not improve, it will not be possible to meet the schedule, and blocks and circuits will continue to be affected by emergencies.
The energy crisis has become one of the most visible symbols of the collapse of the Cuban model. Each night spent in darkness reinforces an increasingly shared certainty: it is not the people who have failed, but those in power.
The population has been facing daily power outages lasting more than 20 hours for months, which disrupt domestic life, affect work, health, education, and nutrition, and exacerbate social unrest throughout the country.
This scenario is not the result of chance or a specific situation. It is the result of years of neglect of infrastructure, poor planning, corruption, and external dependence without real solutions.
While the Government insists on triumphant speeches, people struggle to survive amidst endless blackouts, wasted food, hospitals operating at their limit, students without stable classes, and an entire country exhausted.
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