Cuba’s National Electric System (SEN) is facing an unprecedented crisis, marked by total and partial collapses that have left millions of Cubans without power for two consecutive days. Efforts to restore electrical service have been repeatedly frustrated, while the Cuban regime has handled the situation with informational opacity, leading to confusion and growing public discontent.

On Friday at midday, the SEN experienced a total blackout that affected much of the country. During the recovery process, minor improvements were reported, with Cuba’s Electric Union (UNE) stating that approximately 11% of the electrical demand had been restored. However, at 10:25 p.m. on Saturday, the system collapsed again, undoing the progress made earlier that day.

Informational chaos quickly followed. Havana’s Electric Company initially reported a “total disconnection” of the system on its social media channels but later corrected the statement, clarifying that the collapse affected only the Western microsystem. This uncertainty reflects the nervousness with which the government has managed the crisis, trying to downplay the extent of the problem while the population suffers the consequences of the lack of electricity.

Meanwhile, small advances have been reported in other regions of the country. In the central region, a microsystem managed to maintain an electrical supply in some areas, and in the eastern part of the country, the motors in Moa and the floating power station in Santiago de Cuba have been operating steadily. However, the country’s main thermoelectric plant, Antonio Guiteras, has yet to restart, worsening the situation.

The thermoelectric plants, which should be in better condition following a 2015 agreement with Russia for a 1.2 billion euro investment, have not been modernized or expanded as planned. The regime’s inability to meet the conditions of the Russian loan has blocked the execution of the project, further intensifying the energy crisis.

While the government works to restore power, Cubans have begun to express their frustration in the streets, with pot-banging protests and chants demanding an immediate solution. Tensions are rising for President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who faces the growing frustration of a people on the brink of collapse as the energy crisis remains unresolved.