Power slowly being restored in western Cuba as crews work at damaged plant

Millions of Cubans endured another day without electricity on Thursday as authorities scrambled to repair a damaged boiler at one of the country’s largest thermoelectric plants, highlighting the growing crisis facing Cuba’s deteriorating power infrastructure.

The widespread blackout, which began Wednesday and affected much of western Cuba including Havana, marked the second major outage in just three months. Officials warned that full restoration of power could take three to four days.

By Thursday afternoon, state media reported that about 660,000 customers in Havana—roughly 77% of the capital’s residents—had regained power. Authorities prioritized electricity for critical services, with 43 hospitals and 10 water supply stations now connected. Despite these efforts, millions remained without power across the western region.

“I have no words to describe what I’m going through: the heat, the mosquitoes and no electricity. The food could spoil,” said Miguel Leyva, 65, who cares for his ill mother and brother. “I’m aware of all the problems that exist, but listen, it’s been more than 24 hours now.”

Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines acknowledged in a statement on X that the electrical system is operating “in a limited capacity, prioritizing basic services, primarily health and water supply.” Technical teams worked overnight to address the crisis, but officials cautioned that some restored circuits have already failed again.

The immediate cause of the outage was a crack in a boiler drum at a major power plant. Engineers reported they had located the damage but explained that repairs would be complex. The affected area needs approximately 12 hours to cool sufficiently before workers can safely enter the furnace to begin repairs. Simultaneously, crews are addressing a damaged pipe in the facility.

Compounding these technical failures, state media reported that two additional power plants remain offline due to petroleum shortages, further straining the system.

Ordinary Cubans have adapted as best they can to the increasingly frequent power disruptions. Sonia Vázquez, 61, continued selling coffee to passersby, preparing it with gas at 5 a.m. under a rechargeable lamp. “I didn’t sleep last night. Too many mosquitoes,” she said.

For small business owners like José Ignacio Dorta, 57, the economic impact is immediate. “Some of our frozen food has spoiled,” the café owner explained. “We’ve looked for ways to prevent further spoilage. We’re working on it. We hope nothing else will spoil.”

Cuba’s energy crisis stems from a combination of aging infrastructure and fuel shortages exacerbated by U.S. sanctions. Many thermoelectric plants have been operating for more than three decades with minimal maintenance due to prohibitive costs. U.S. sanctions have prevented the government from acquiring new equipment and specialized parts.

The island’s fuel situation deteriorated in January when key oil shipments from Venezuela were halted following U.S. action against the South American nation. Later that month, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on any country selling or supplying oil to Cuba, further isolating the island economically.

During remarks on Thursday, Trump hinted at potential developments regarding Cuba, suggesting that a deal might be imminent while offering few specifics. “They want to make a deal so badly. You have no idea,” Trump stated. He added that Secretary of State Marco Rubio wanted to focus on Cuba but preferred to wait until the situation with Iran was resolved.

Trump’s comments followed his earlier suggestion last week about the possibility of a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, though he did not elaborate on what such a scenario would entail.

December’s major blackout, which affected much of the same region, lasted nearly 12 hours. With infrastructure continuing to deteriorate and fuel supplies remaining uncertain, Cubans face the prospect of more frequent and potentially longer outages in the coming months, placing additional strain on an economy already struggling with shortages of food, medicine, and other essentials.