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The Electric Company of Santiago de Cuba reported on Saturday that the province experienced power outages for 24 hours the day before and warned that, due to the severe generation deficit in the country, it will only be possible to restore the service for approximately two hours in some circuits.
In an update published on Facebook, the entity explained that the National Electric System (SEN) continues to operate with low generation availability, which prevents the adherence to the usual blackout schedule.
According to the report from the Electric Union (UNE), the maximum impact anticipated for this Saturday could reach 1,924 megawatts (MW).
The company indicated that, under current conditions, “once it is possible to restore some circuits, they will receive service for approximately two hours”, with priority given to those that have been without service the longest.
It was also pointed out that the circuits supplying vital centers such as hospitals remain energized.
Shortly after, the company published another message to refute alleged false information that, it claimed, is circulating on social media using its identity.
The information in question, published on the Facebook page Revolico Santiago de Cuba, stated that "at this moment, the province is at 0 MW."
The company stated that it does not make posts in sales groups or through personal profiles, and urged the public to follow only its official channels.
The posts generated numerous critical reactions among users. Some citizens questioned the lack of concrete information regarding when the electric service might normalize and reported the uncertainty that families are facing.
"This is here to stay," commented a user identified as Iván García, who described the situation as "a complete disaster."
Other citizens called for greater transparency regarding the measures taken to address the crisis and warned about the impact of prolonged blackouts on food preservation and daily life.
The situation in Santiago de Cuba occurs within the context of a national energy collapse.
According to the daily report from UNE, for this Saturday, a supply of 1,156 MW is expected against a projected maximum demand of 3,050 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1,894 MW and an estimated impact of 1,924 MW.
The unexpected shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the largest in the country located in Matanzas, due to a boiler malfunction led to a near-total collapse of the National Electric System on Wednesday, leaving a large part of the national territory without service.
This situation is compounded by structural problems within the Cuban energy system, including the deterioration of thermal power plants, lack of maintenance, and a shortage of fuel that keeps a significant portion of distributed generation immobilized.
In several provinces of the country, power outages exceed 20 hours a day, while on Friday night, pots and pans were banged and protests were reported in various neighborhoods of Havana and in localities of Matanzas amid the prolonged collapse of the electricity supply.
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