Some electric circuits in Pinar del Río have been without electricity for more than 90 consecutive hours, a situation acknowledged this Sunday by Yamilé Ramos Cordero, the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) in the province, who also warned about the serious difficulties the area faces in ensuring water supply to the population.
In a post made this Sunday on Facebook, the leader explained that the country has been facing an energy emergency since Thursday caused by a lack of fuel, the outage of several generating units, including the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant, and the limited generation from photovoltaic solar parks.
Ramos pointed out that, in the face of a national demand of 2,800 megawatts (MW), the country was generating only 750 MW, a difference of 2,050 MW that highlights the extent of the restrictions in the Cuban electrical system.
"This situation causes a very significant lack of electricity across all circuits in Pinar del Río, with some experiencing over 90 hours without power," he acknowledged.
The figure indicates that certain consumers have been without electricity service for more than three and a half consecutive days.
The official admitted that, given the scarcity of available electricity, the provincial authorities have focused the supply on a very limited number of facilities deemed essential.
"In the current context, only the supply for the Pediatric, Abel Santamaría, and León Cuervo hospitals has been possible, and at times the supply from the well field that feeds the provincial capital," he explained.
His statement reflects the extent to which electric service has been restricted in Pinar del Río. While some healthcare facilities receive priority, numerous residential circuits remain without power for extraordinarily long periods.
The first secretary of the PCC did not elaborate on how electricity is being distributed among the different municipalities, nor did she provide a schedule for restoring supply to the communities that have experienced more than 90 hours of blackout.
The energy problem is also affecting the water supply, a service that relies on electricity for the operation of pumping and distribution systems.
Ramos reported that in addition to the generation limitations, difficulties caused by an electrical failure, which has recently been resolved by workers from the Basic Electrical Organization (OBE), have arisen.
"Undoubtedly, the limitations with electricity generation impact the water supply," acknowledged the leader.
According to the explanation, last Thursday fuel was delivered to the territories to organize an emergency water distribution using tanker trucks, commonly known in Cuba as pipas.
The official also revealed a concerning fact about the state of the provincial hydraulic infrastructure: of the 177 water supply sources in Pinar del Río, 52 are malfunctioning.
The combination of prolonged blackouts and difficulties in obtaining water increases the daily challenges for families, particularly in homes where there are no adequate reserves or alternative means to store and pump the liquid.
In his post, Ramos also referred to the use of energy produced by the photovoltaic solar parks installed in the province.
According to his explanation, since June, Pinar del Río has used that generation to manage the electricity supply when the difficulties of the National Electric Power System (SEN) worsen.
However, he clarified that when the situation of the national system becomes more complex, that production is transferred to the entire country to try to balance availability and ensure the services deemed vital.
The explanation makes it clear that the electricity produced by the solar parks in Pinar del Río is not necessarily intended for consumption within the province itself, but can be used to meet the needs of the national system.
The situation described by Ramos coincides with the worsening of the electricity crisis in other provinces, where authorities have acknowledged restrictions that drastically reduce service hours for the population.
This Sunday, the Electric Company of Guantánamo announced that it could only provide around two hours of electricity daily per customer, due to severe energy limitations.
The measure means that residents could remain without electricity for approximately 22 hours a day, although the company did not set specific times or clarify how long these restrictions would be in place.
One day prior, the Electric Company of Holguín announced the suspension of the circuit rotation system every 12 hours in the city, citing difficulties in maintaining the usual distribution scheme.
The decision sparked criticism among residents, some of whom questioned whether a regular rotation actually existed, given the duration of the blackouts they had already been experiencing.
Matanzas faces an equally complicated situation. A report released documented outages of nearly 70 consecutive hours in the towns of Manuelito and Bolondrón, while numerous circuits in the province accumulated between 40 and 60 hours without electricity.
The electrical authorities in Matanzas acknowledged that the provincial impact exceeded 130 MW and that some circuits were experiencing additional technical problems when attempts were made to restore service.
The announcements from Pinar del Río, Guantánamo, Holguín, and Matanzas highlight the territorial extent of the energy crisis, which is no longer confined to scheduled interruptions lasting several hours, but in certain areas leaves consumers without electricity for several days.
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