Havana in darkness as massive blackout hits Cuba

Record ID: 2361556

  • Title: Havana in darkness as massive blackout hits Cuba
  • Date: 5th March 2026
  • Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (MARCH 4, 2026) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) MALECON AVENUE WITH TRAFFIC DURING POWER OUTAGE STREETLIGHTS OFF VARIOUS OF PEOPLE HANGING OUT AND TALKING ON THE MALECON WALL (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HAVANA RESIDENT, HENNYS CASTELLANOS, SAYING: "With the failure of the SEN (National Electric Energy System), which has become quite commonplace, that is, in a short time we
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: BLACKOUT BLOCKADE CUBA EMBARGO ENERGY ENERGY CRISIS POWER OUTAGE UNITED STATES
  • Location: HAVANA, CUBA
  • City: HAVANA, CUBA
  • Country: Cuba
  • Topics: South America / Central America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001099004032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:A power outage struck most of Cuba, including Havana, the state electric utility said on Wednesday (March 4), as the Communist-run government grapples with increased pressure from the Trump administration that has curtailed oil shipments.
    The electric company Union Electrica UNE said the blackout was caused by an unexpected outage at Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant about 100 km (62 miles) east of Havana, cutting electricity from Pinar del Rio in the far west to central-eastern Camaguey province.
    Repairs to the Guiteras generating station could take three to four days, the regional newspaper Giron reported, citing Roman Perez, technical director of the plant.
    Cuba has experienced a series of major blackouts in recent years, even before U.S. actions to cut off oil shipments, particularly from top supplier Venezuela after Washington's ouster of leader Nicolas Maduro in early January.
    Cuba's government has attributed its economic crisis to decades of economic sanctions from the U.S., contributing to the lack of investment in power generation and the electric grid.
    People in Havana, accustomed to rolling power outages associated with state rationing, mostly took the blackout in stride. Some traffic lights and businesses were operational due to solar panels or power generators.
    (Production: Anett Rios, Mario Fuentes, Alien Fernandez, Anna Portella)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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