The electricity went out Friday in Cuba, affecting the entire island’s population of 10 million after one of its main power plants failed, according to Cuba’s energy ministry.
The government had tried to keep the lights on earlier in the day by closing schools and having most state workers stay home in an effort to conserve energy. But it wasn’t enough, and by 11 a.m. the largest power plant went offline, causing a grid failure.
The communist-run country’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, wrote on X that they are giving “absolute priority” to solving the problem, and that “there won’t be any rest” until the power comes back on.
Cubans have been grappling with rolling blackouts for months. In some provinces outside the capital, Havana, many people have been facing power outages that last up to 12 hours at a time.
Cuba’s prime minister, Manuel Marrero, on Thursday blamed the ongoing blackouts on the deteriorating infrastructure, fuel shortages and rising demand among its people.
While demand for electricity has gone up, the supply of oil has been greatly limited. Cuba’s ally and main oil supplier, Venezuela, has decreased the amount of shipments it sends to the island. Oil shipments from other countries, like Russia and Mexico, have also been greatly diminished.
Authorities said they did not know how long it would take to re-establish power.
This particular moment has been worrying for many Cubans. During a walk in a Havana neighborhood people expressed alarm at the situation, and one resident said it felt as if the country had reached the “bottom of the barrel.”
