Cuba’s National Electrical System was fully reconnected, restoring a high percentage of power across the island after a massive outage, underscoring the fragility of the country’s energy infrastructure amid tightening U.S. sanctions. Cuba’s national electricity system fully reconnected on March 5, at 05:01 A.M. local time, following a widespread outage triggered by a fault at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant on March 4.

The Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines confirmed the interlinkage of the National Electroenergetic System (SEN, in Spanish), successfully restoring power across the island, from its westernmost to southeasternmost points. This crucial reconnection came after a significant service interruption that had affected a vast segment of the country.

Authorities announced that the progressive incorporation of various generation units throughout the territory is ongoing to stabilize the supply.

Lazaro Guerra, Director of Electricity at Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines, reported that by 07:00 AM on March 5, the country had 590 megawatts (MW) of electricity served. Guerra specified that several additional generation units are expected to become operational during the day, including two from the Santa Cruz del Norte plant, unit three of the Cienfuegos thermoelectric plant in the south-central region, and unit six of Nuevitas, located in Camagüey province on Cuba’s north coast.

While the malfunction at the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant in Matanzas was the direct cause of the system’s collapse on Wednesday, the fundamental underlying issue, according to Guerra, is the inherent weakness of the National Electroenergetic System. This vulnerability stems primarily from the persistent unavailability of fuel required for distributed generation.

The initial service interruption occurred just after noon on March 4, when an unexpected shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras plant, caused by a boiler failure, led to a disconnection affecting a vast area from Camagüey in the central-eastern region to Pinar del Rio province. Emergency protocols were immediately activated to address the contingency and commence power restoration efforts in the impacted areas.

Further complicating the energy landscape, the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant began an estimated four-day maintenance period on the morning of March 5.

Ruben Campos Olmo, Director General of the plant, explained that this technical intervention is critically aimed at reducing water consumption in the high-temperature reheater. This component, he detailed, has shown significant weakening due to the prolonged and excessive operational demands placed upon it. The need for such repairs highlights the severe strain on Cuba´s energy infrastructure and the challenges in maintaining a consistent electricity supply.

According to the official information, 218 distribution circuits of the Cuban capital has electricity service at 1:00 P.M. local time, which represents 76.49% of the city. Meanwhile, the gradual synchronization of the loads of photovoltaic solar parks is ongoing in the provinces.

Cuba’s energy crisis has sharply intensified in recent weeks, a situation directly attributed to the financial and commercial restrictions imposed by the United States Government.

As an example of the escalating instability, Havana, the island’s capital, experienced a power outage exceeding 19 hours on March 3, further underscoring the precarious situation.

This scenario is a direct consequence of the tightened sanctions targeting Cuba’s petroleum sector. Specifically, a recent Executive Order, declared as an alleged “emergency” measure and signed by U.S. President Donald Trump, has significantly exacerbated the situation. This measure mandates the imposition of tariffs on nations that supply fuel to the island, effectively creating substantial obstacles for the import of essential energy resources.

The international community has largely condemned this interference policy. Various leaders and international organizations have rejected it, characterizing it as a strategy of economic suffocation that infringes upon Cuba’s sovereign right to maintain basic services for its population.

This ongoing U.S. policy severely compromises Cuba’s ability to ensure a stable power supply and maintain its national energy security, directly impacting the daily lives of millions of Cubans.