On the morning of September 10, 2025, Cuba awoke to a now-familiar darkness. For the fourth time in less than a year, the entire island's electricity grid collapsed, plunging more than 10 million residents into a nationwide blackout. The incident, which began at 9:14 a.m. local time, was confirmed by Cuba’s Energy Ministry and the National Electric Union, who announced a “total disconnection of the Electric System.” Photos posted by the electrical worker’s union showed a tense meeting with Prime Minister Manuel Marrero, underscoring the gravity of the crisis and the government’s scramble to restore power.
The culprit this time was a failure at the 300 megawatt CTE Antonio Guiteras power plant, one of the country’s largest and most vital sources of electricity. According to Reuters, the grid operator reported that the collapse occurred suddenly, leaving the entire Caribbean island in the dark. The causes of the failure are still under investigation, but the Ministry stated that the restoration process had already begun by midday.
For many Cubans, this blackout was just another chapter in a saga of hardship that has stretched on for months. Even before the latest collapse, residents had been enduring daily blackouts lasting 16 hours or more. The country’s aging, oil-fired power plants—many of them relics from decades past—are struggling to keep up with demand. According to Reuters, the situation reached a full-blown crisis last year when oil imports from key allies like Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico dwindled, leaving the grid teetering on the brink of failure.
The timing of the blackout could hardly be worse. Cuba is mired in what many describe as its deepest economic crisis in decades. The island faces severe shortages of fuel, food, and other essentials, compounding the misery for ordinary citizens. For many, the blackout is more than an inconvenience—it’s a daily battle for survival.
"This is crazy for everything," said Raúl Ernesto Gutierrez, who was visiting Havana when the blackout hit. Gutierrez, who lives in the countryside, described the grim reality facing rural families: "We will have to cook with charcoal, with firewood. It’s stressful and also frustrating." His words capture the sense of exhaustion and resignation that has settled over much of the population.
In Havana, the blackout brought the city’s already strained routines to a standstill. Danai Hernandez, a state worker, described how her workplace had to shut down abruptly. "I’m going home to organize everything in the household and ... now we have to wait. We don't have any other choice," she said, her frustration palpable. For millions like Hernandez, the blackout is not just a technical failure—it’s a stark reminder of the fragility of daily life in today’s Cuba.
Government officials have tried to reassure the public that efforts are underway to restore power. The electrical worker’s union, which posted images of the emergency meeting with Prime Minister Marrero, emphasized that crews were working around the clock to bring the grid back online. Still, for many Cubans, such promises ring hollow after months of persistent outages and little improvement.
The roots of the crisis run deep. Cuba’s power generation system is heavily dependent on oil, much of it imported at subsidized rates from political allies. But with economic turmoil gripping Venezuela and shifting priorities in Russia and Mexico, those supplies have become increasingly unreliable. The result is a patchwork grid held together by aging infrastructure and frequent improvisation—a system prone to exactly the kind of cascading failure witnessed this week.
Wednesday’s blackout was not an isolated event. Since late last year, the island has experienced a string of nationwide power failures, each one exposing the vulnerabilities of the electric system and the broader economy. According to the BBC, these repeated collapses have left many residents feeling abandoned and powerless—both literally and figuratively.
The economic context cannot be overstated. Cuba is grappling with its worst financial crisis in decades, marked by soaring inflation, plummeting purchasing power, and chronic shortages of basic goods. The government has struggled to maintain imports of fuel and food, while U.S. sanctions and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have further strained resources. The power crisis, in many ways, is both a symptom and a driver of the broader economic malaise.
For the government, the blackout presents both a technical and a political challenge. Images of Prime Minister Marrero meeting with union officials signal an urgent response, but public patience is wearing thin. The Ministry of Energy and National Electric Union have pledged transparency, stating that the causes are being investigated and that the restoration process is ongoing. Yet, as power outages drag on and the country’s economic woes deepen, trust in official assurances is eroding.
Looking ahead, the path to a stable power supply appears uncertain. Cuba’s reliance on outdated, oil-fired plants makes the grid vulnerable to both technical failures and geopolitical shifts. Without significant investment in new infrastructure or alternative energy sources, experts warn that blackouts could become an even more frequent part of life on the island.
Meanwhile, ordinary Cubans are left to improvise. In the countryside, families turn to charcoal and firewood for cooking, while in cities, residents organize their routines around unpredictable power schedules. Businesses shutter, food spoils, and daily life grinds to a halt—an exhausting cycle that shows little sign of ending soon.
As the sun set on September 10, many in Cuba were still waiting for the lights to come back on. For now, the blackout stands as a stark symbol of the country’s ongoing struggles—a crisis measured not just in megawatts, but in the daily lives of millions.
