HAVANA − On Friday, the power grid in Cuba collapsed after a significant failure at one of its largest power plants, as reported by the country’s energy authorities, resulting in a nationwide blackout.

To mitigate the situation earlier that day, the Communist government opted to close schools and non-essential industries, sending many state employees home in an effort to maintain power for the general population.

However, just before noon, the Antonio Guiteras power plant, the largest and most reliable facility in the country, ceased operations, leading to a total failure of the electric grid and leaving around 10 million people without electricity.

“We won’t rest until power is fully restored,” declared Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on X.

This energy crisis forced authorities to suspend all non-essential government services, and educational institutions, from schools to universities, are closed until at least Sunday. Additionally, all recreational and cultural venues, including nightclubs, have been ordered to shut down.

The government mandated that only essential personnel in food supply and healthcare sectors should report for work on Friday.

Electricity officials have not provided an estimate on how long it might take to restore power.

This latest incident marks a significant downturn for a nation already grappling with severe shortages of food, fuel, water, and medical supplies.

At midday on Friday, almost all businesses in Havana came to a standstill. The sound of generators could be heard from some homes and restaurants, while many residents sat outdoors trying to cope with the heat as the sun broke through the clouds.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero attributed the recent rolling blackouts to a combination of well-known problems faced by Cubans, including outdated infrastructure, fuel shortages, and increased demand.

“The fuel shortage is the primary issue,” Marrero stated in a message broadcast on television, which was hindered by technical issues and delayed by several hours.

Strong winds and rough seas brought on by Hurricane Milton last week have severely limited the island’s ability to transport essential fuel to its power plants, according to officials.

The Cuban government has long held the U.S. Cold War-era embargo and recent sanctions under former President Donald Trump accountable for its challenges in obtaining fuel and spare parts for its oil-based energy facilities.

Both of the largest power plants on the island, Felton and the now non-operative Antonio Guiteras, are underperforming and need urgent repairs as part of a four-year initiative aimed at revitalizing Cuba’s aging infrastructure.

The government’s Prime Minister stated that Cuba’s burgeoning private sector, which has fueled greater demand, will face higher rates for electricity usage to make up for the deficits.

Dwindling fuel supplies

As the demand for electricity continues to rise, fuel supplies are nearly exhausted on the island, which produces little oil domestically.

This year, Cuba’s largest oil supplier, Venezuela, has halved its shipments to the island, delivering only an average of 32,600 barrels per day during the first nine months, compared to 60,000 barrels per day during the same timeframe last year, according to vessel-tracking data and shipping documents from Venezuela’s state company PDVSA.

As PDVSA faces its own refining issues, it has been reducing its export volumes to preserve fuel for domestic use.

Additionally, both Russia and Mexico, former sources of fuel for Cuba, have significantly decreased their shipments to the island.

These shortages have forced Cuba to rely on the much more expensive spot market, while the government is on the brink of bankruptcy.

Electricity officials anticipate power generation to improve in the upcoming days as weather conditions permit the distribution of previously delivered fuel throughout the Caribbean’s largest island.