On December 4, 2024, Cuba experienced a nationwide power outage after the Antonio Guiteras power plant in Matanzas, the country's primary electricity producer, shut down around 2 AM local time. This incident led to the collapse of the national power grid, leaving millions without electricity across the island.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines announced via social media that efforts were underway to restore power. Witnesses reported that the capital, Havana, was nearly completely dark, with only a few large hotels and government buildings illuminated before sunrise.
Social media reports indicated that blackouts were affecting the entire island, home to approximately 10 million residents, although the government has not confirmed the full extent of the outage. This incident follows a series of power grid failures in recent months, attributed to a significant decline in oil imports from Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico.
Previous outages were exacerbated by natural disasters, including Hurricane Oscar and Hurricane Raphael, which caused extensive damage and further compromised the already struggling energy infrastructure. The Cuban government has cited difficulties in acquiring fuel, linked to the longstanding U.S. trade embargo, as a primary cause of the ongoing power crises. The country is also grappling with a broader economic downturn, characterized by high inflation and shortages of essential goods.