Santiago de Cuba rejoined the National Electric System (SEN) on Tuesday, as reported by the state-owned company Unión Eléctrica (UNE) on its Facebook page. This made it the last province in the nation to have its power restored after nearly two days in the dark.
The massive blackout began on Sunday, August 2, at 10:43 PM, due to a total disconnection from the SEN, marking the sixth such incident in 2026.
The restoration efforts were further hindered on the night of Monday, August 3, when a frequency fluctuation caused another complete system failure, erasing the progress that had been achieved up to that point.
The setback was significant: Havana, which had managed to restore only 14% of its power supply by Monday morning—servicing 87,480 customers and 78.51 MW with 19 hospitals prioritized—saw its coverage plummet to just 3.8% after the frequency issue, affecting 33,182 customers, 11 circuits, and six substations.
Challenges in Restoring Power
The reconnection process involved restarting units at the Ernesto Guevara, Máximo Gómez, and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes thermal power plants. However, the eastern part of the country, particularly Santiago de Cuba, was the last to be addressed.
The structural deficit's scale explains why each collapse takes so long to resolve: for the Sunday night peak, UNE had anticipated an impact of 2,195 MW with only 1,035 MW available versus a maximum demand of 3,200 MW, a shortfall of nearly 68%.
Enduring Energy Woes in Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba has been grappling with energy woes that extend beyond this current episode. Back in March, the local electric company acknowledged 24-hour outages and barely promised two hours of service "when possible." In June, they reorganized the cuts, leaving each neighborhood with one or two daily slots of electricity lasting between one and two hours.
On July 30, a fire at the Santiago Este Substation exacerbated the situation further, forcing an emergency power cut in four city circuits.
The accumulated frustration has sparked a wave of protests. Santiago de Cuba witnessed "cacerolazos" (pot-banging protests) on July 3, July 26, and July 30, with chants demanding "electricity, food, and freedom."
The regime responded by militarizing Santa Úrsula Park and deploying armed forces to intimidate demonstrators.
The Unrelenting Cycle of Blackouts
This recent collapse adds to a relentless cycle: on July 14, Cuba experienced its fifth total blackout in just eight days, and June saw 107 protests nationwide.
While the reconnection of Santiago de Cuba on Tuesday technically restored the SEN, the underlying structural issues that cause these repeated failures remain unaddressed.
Understanding the Power Crisis in Cuba
What caused the blackout in Santiago de Cuba?
The blackout was triggered by a total disconnection from the National Electric System on August 2, followed by a frequency fluctuation that caused another system failure on August 3.
How did the authorities respond to the protests in Santiago de Cuba?
The regime responded by militarizing areas like Santa Úrsula Park and deploying armed forces to intimidate the protesters.
What is the main issue with Cuba's power system?
Cuba faces a significant structural deficit in its power system, with demand far exceeding the available supply, leading to frequent blackouts and prolonged recovery periods.