In a day overshadowed by extended power outages across the nation, dozens of Cubans gathered this Friday to celebrate the Water Carnival of Caibarién, a cherished cultural event in the Villa Clara region.
This spectacle, featuring the parade of floating floats along Caibarién's malecón, kicked off at midday on the municipality's coastline. The festivities began with congas, dances, and comparsas on land, followed by several floats, each representing a state entity, navigating past the malecón.
The celebration unfolds on a day deemed an emergency due to the blackouts, which are reported to persist throughout the day, even in Havana. The Havana Electric Company announced on Friday the need to extend power outages in the capital to four hours due to a significant deficit in the National Electric System's (SEN) power generation.
The Union Electrica had already forecasted a near 800 MW deficit during peak hours on Friday, with an impact of 350 MW during medium demand. On Thursday, electric service was disrupted from 7:13 pm to 1:19 am, reaching a maximum impact of 786 MW at 8:30 pm.
The persistent blackouts are a result of the severe energy crisis the country is experiencing, exacerbated by the recent outage of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant and the shutdown of five other units due to malfunctions, the entity explained.
The situation has worsened due to the inoperability of six units in the Santa Cruz, Guiteras, Felton, and Rente thermoelectric plants, as well as a fuel shortage that has sidelined 51 distributed generation plants, causing an additional impact of 190 MW.
The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the country's largest power plant, encountered an "issue" with its oil command, extending repair efforts to seven days instead of the initially planned 24 hours.
Impact of Power Outages on Caibarién's Water Carnival
The following questions and answers address common concerns related to the power outages affecting the Water Carnival of Caibarién and the broader energy crisis in Cuba.
Why are there extended power outages in Cuba?
Cuba is facing a severe energy crisis, worsened by the breakdown of multiple thermoelectric plants and a shortage of fuel, resulting in extended power outages.
How is the Water Carnival of Caibarién being affected by the power outages?
Despite the power outages, the Water Carnival of Caibarién is proceeding as planned, with festivities including float parades and dances continuing along the malecón.
What measures are being taken to address the power generation deficit?
The Havana Electric Company has extended power outages to four hours in the capital and is working on repairing the affected thermoelectric plants to stabilize the power supply.