Frequently Asked Questions
Cuba faced its sixth major blackout this year after a nationwide shutdown. The shutdown was triggered by a blockage in the electrical network, leaving much of the country without power. Union Electrica (UNE) said about 48 percent of Havana’s customers had power restored by Saturday. The outage affected several provinces, including Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey.
Union Electrica (UNE) said about 48 percent of Havana’s electricity users had service again by Saturday, after the outage that began early Friday. The blackout, the sixth this year, resulted from a fault in a key transmission line that forced a shutdown of the national grid. Authorities deployed repair crews and rerouted power while urging residents to conserve energy. The interruption also crippled hospitals in Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey, which had to depend on diesel generators for life‑saving equipment. UNE's director, Carlos Martínez, said the repair work is proceeding 'at an unprecedented pace'. The blackout also halted production at several factories and disrupted water pumping stations, worsening the daily hardships for citizens. UNE's spokesperson added that the power outage was 'a severe test of our resilience'.
The prolonged darkness has strained Cuba’s already fragile economy, disrupting production and worsening shortages of food and medicine. Analysts warn that repeated outages could deter foreign investment. The administration remains confident the ongoing repairs will stabilize supply and prevent future nationwide failures. Officials hope to complete the remaining work by the end of the month, restoring full service across all regions.
How many Havana residents regained power by Saturday?
How many Havana residents regained power by Saturday? UNE reported that roughly 48 percent of Havana’s customers had electricity restored by Saturday. That equals about 600,000 households out of the city’s 1.2 million service points.
What caused the blackout? The outage originated from a fault in a high‑voltage transmission line. That forced protective devices to shut down the national grid, cutting power across the island.
When will full electricity service be restored nationwide? Officials say complete restoration is expected within two to three weeks, after extensive testing and further repairs to the damaged infrastructure. The timeline may shift depending on the speed of repair crews.