Frequent Power Outages Threaten to Destroy Old Havana's Underground Electrical System

Residents of Old Havana have taken to social media to voice their outrage over the constant power outages that are causing irreversible damage to the underground electrical system in the area. This decades-old infrastructure has long been considered too delicate to handle frequent disconnections.

Public concern escalated after a post on the Facebook page of Havana's Electric Company by user Gelkis Ortiz, who warned, "They are destroying Old Havana's underground system."

Ortiz explained that "every day, the outages grow longer due to emergencies, malfunctions, or whatever reason they come up with. The worst part is that they are destroying an infrastructure they cannot restore, and soon it won't be able to be turned back on."

As evidence, Ortiz shared two images showing an electrical vault located at the intersection of Lamparilla and Villegas streets, describing it as "charred and already considered trash," pointing to the pile of debris surrounding it.

"They are aware that Old Havana and Centro Habana's underground systems are ancient and in poor condition, yet they continue to turn them off. The collateral damage is becoming more severe, damage they can no longer repair, and at any moment, we're all going to explode," expressed a resident among the numerous comments the post generated.

The Looming Threat of Gas Leaks

The most alarming danger to residents is the deteriorating electrical cables lying alongside underground gas pipelines.

"The problem will arise when a spark from the underground system connects with one of the many gas leaks that are also underground," warned another commenter. A third voice summed up the collective fear succinctly: "Any moment now, we're going to blow up."

Several residents recalled that even Eusebio Leal (1942-2020), the Historian of Havana, had forewarned about this risk.

"Eusebio Leal mentioned it once in 2020... he stated in a meeting that the underground system was untouchable, not because he didn't want to turn it off but because of the infrastructure. But now that Leal is gone, they do as they please. Globally, no underground system is shut down, but at this point, who will address this issue?" lamented a user, reflecting on the decay of the Historical Center and the interrupted legacy of the historian.

Infrastructure Neglect in Old Havana

Another resident described the neglected state of the electrical vaults: "Practically all of them are without doors; most serve as public restrooms at any time of the day... it's incredible that no one has been electrocuted in them yet."

A resident from the Playa municipality, with family in Old Havana, summarized the scale of the risk: "We're not talking about poles here; we're talking about underground cables that run alongside water and gas lines. Even if they are isolated, if just one of them fails, it's a ticking time bomb."

A notable incident often mentioned in the comments is a fire that erupted beneath the streets of Zanja and Belascoaín in Centro Habana, intense enough to melt the pavement.

The issue extends beyond Old Havana and parts of Centro Habana, impacting areas like the (Camilo Cienfuegos) neighborhood. "Today, some buildings have power while others are out. One part lights up while another goes dark. I don't know what they'll use to fix it once they've destroyed it," noted another neighbor.

The energy crisis sheds light on the gravity of the situation. On July 2, the Electric Company disconnected Old Havana's Underground Zone due to a "national generation emergency," with a deficit reaching 2,100 MW that day.

By July 6, the third national blackout of 2026 and the seventh total collapse of the National Electric System in 18 months forced Havana's Electric Company to abandon block outage management and rapidly adopt a circuit-based system.