Residents of the A465 circuit in the Lawton neighborhood (Havana) reported this weekend that they had been without electricity for almost two full days, describing the situation as one that has been recurring for months without any solution from the authorities.
The report was collected by independent journalist Magdiel Jorge Castro on his Facebook profile.
The A465 circuit covers the area between 8th and 16th streets in Lawton and is supplied by the Apolo substation, located in the municipality of Arroyo Naranjo. This Sunday, residents regained service around 11 in the morning after nearly 48 hours in the dark, but they lost it again just three hours later.
One of the most commonly reported issues by residents is that their circuit does not appear at all in some official reports from the Apolo substation published by the Electric Company. "It feels like they are omitting our existence," said one of the affected residents.
The records of disruptions from the A465 show a sustained pattern: on July 29, a circuit trip was reported due to overload, on August 9, the service was down again, and on August 16, another interruption occurred starting at 9:16 PM.
The Apolo substation itself has experienced malfunctions throughout the month. According to an informational note from the Electric Company of Havana published on the official portal of the capital government, an electrical discharge struck the facility, causing a significant malfunction in a cell and igniting a fire, leaving customers in Diez de Octubre-Lawton, Vista Alegre, Arroyo Naranjo-Víbora Park, Poey, Moro, and Mantilla without service.
In addition to the technical crisis, there is an administrative problem that residents describe as a labyrinth with no exit: although the A465 is territorially part of the Diez de Octubre municipality, it receives service from a substation in Arroyo Naranjo. When complaints are raised, the authorities from both municipalities shift responsibility back and forth without providing a concrete response.
Lawton has been one of the most active neighborhoods in protests against power outages for months. Since March 2026, there have been reported burning trash in the streets during blackouts, pan banging with pots and extinguishers, and slogans such as "We want electricity!" and "Freedom!". On July 31, a woman was seriously injured after being hit during one of these protests.
The national context worsens the outlook: on August 28, the actual maximum impact on the National Electric System was 2,340 MW, and on several days this month, the generation deficit exceeded 2,000 MW, reaching a record of 2,411 MW. The system has experienced at least six total outages so far in 2026.
"We urge you to help us with its visibility, as that is the only way this regime reacts, being exposed," said one of the residents of A465 when contacting independent media.
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