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The United States Embassy in Havana issued a security alert on Monday regarding the nationwide blackout that affected Cuba, including the capital, and warned that there was no information available on when the electricity service would be restored.
In its notice, shared via its social networks, the diplomatic mission indicated that at 1:54 p.m. local time, there was “a disconnection from the national power grid” that resulted in “a total power outage,” including the metropolitan area of Havana.
The alert places the episode within the context of a sustained deterioration of the Cuban energy system.
According to the Embassy, the national power grid is "increasingly unstable" and both scheduled and unscheduled outages, in addition to being prolonged, have become a daily occurrence throughout the country, including Havana.
The notice adds that these interruptions directly affect essential services such as water supply, lighting, refrigeration, and communications.
In light of that scenario, the diplomatic mission urged people to take concrete precautions to deal with significant disruptions.
Among them, she mentioned the need to conserve fuel, water, food, and mobile phone charge, and also recommended being prepared for prolonged power outages.
In the section on actions to take, the Embassy urged to review the daily updates from the Electric Union (UNE) and to follow their social media accounts.
He also advised tuning into Radio Reloj 101.5 FM and other local media, as well as staying in touch with family and friends.
The notice also includes a practical guide for home preparation in case of a power outage.
The Embassy recommends keeping mobile phones and power banks charged, having flashlights and spare batteries readily accessible, storing non-perishable food and water, and planning alternative methods for medical needs that depend on electricity, such as medical devices or medications that require refrigeration.
The diplomatic mission also urged U.S. citizens to register on the platform step.state.gov to receive updates from the Embassy.
The document also shared its assistance channels, including the phone number +(53) (7) 839-4100, with instructions for off-hours calls, the email acshavana@state.gov, and its WhatsApp channel for consular information.
Mass blackout in Cuba
Cuba experienced a total disconnection from the National Electroenergetic System (SEN) on Monday, with no clear cause identified at the time of the official report cited.
The Unión Eléctrica (UNE) announced on Facebook that "no faults have been reported in any of the thermal units that were operational at the time of the SEN disconnection," while the Ministry of Energy and Mines stated that the causes of the collapse were still under investigation.
The total system failure was confirmed by UNE in a message stating: “A total disconnection of the National Electroenergetic System has occurred. Protocols for restoration are being implemented. We will continue to provide updates.”
That official confirmation placed the country on the brink of a widespread blackout following a day that had already been marked by significant electrical disruptions across the entire national territory.
Subsequently, the UNE announced that microsystems are now beginning to operate in several areas of the country and that Energás has an operational generating unit.
The most relevant point from the new official report is that, at least according to the UNE, the collapse was not linked to the malfunction of any of the thermoelectric plants that were operational at that time.
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