On Saturday, journalist Yirmara Torres Hernández voiced her frustration on Facebook about her neighborhood, Los Mangos in Matanzas, enduring a continuous 44-hour power outage. The last brief flicker of electricity was noted on Thursday, October 15, between 9 and 11 p.m.
Prior to this two-hour electricity window, the area had already been in darkness for 53 hours. This relentless cycle of outages led Torres to a bitter realization that many Cubans share: “Having no electricity ever, that's just normal, it's our routine.”
Torres, who previously led the official Union of Cuban Journalists (UPEC) in Matanzas until her resignation in 2023, has consistently highlighted the worsening energy situation in her region. In June 2026, she reported 55 consecutive hours without power in Matanzas, and in March she described power outages lasting 32, 24, and 26 hours as a "psychological torture."
In her latest post, Torres noted that residents have become desensitized to the constant power failures: “The worst part is that we’re used to this [...] we no longer even have the power to be surprised.” She added, “The news would be having electricity again. Not having it, with everything becoming difficult, the electrical system failing, that's not news for us anymore.”
Overwhelming Power Outages Spread Across Matanzas
Comments on her post painted a grim picture of the crisis extending beyond Los Mangos. A neighbor mentioned they had been without power for 47 hours at the time of writing. Reports from Unión de Reyes showed an accumulated 75 hours without electricity. A resident from Reparto Iglesia, in Matanzas city, mentioned nearly four days without service since midday on Wednesday, October 12.
The most severe testimony came from Colón, where a resident reported that their neighborhood had been without power for 56 consecutive days due to a transformer failure, with no clear end in sight. “Our young people are leaving, and I feel so miserable,” she lamented. Another comment bluntly summarized the situation: “Electricity is no longer a service. It's an event.”
Electrical System Failures Deepen Nationwide
The dire power situation in Matanzas worsened with the October 14 shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the largest single-unit power generator in Cuba, located in the province. It went offline due to a leak in the economizer of its boiler, causing further damage to the low-temperature reheater.
Román Pérez Castañeda, the plant's general director, explained that repairs required replacing 11 pipe segments and conducting metallographic controls and safety tests. Amid a generation deficit affecting the country, Alejandro Rodríguez Aspeitía, director of Matanzas Electric Company, acknowledged a provincial shortfall of over 130 megawatts.
Other municipalities in Matanzas faced similar challenges: Manuelito and Bolondrón were nearing 70 hours without power by October 17, while circuits in Jagüey Grande surpassed 60 hours.
This crisis is not isolated to Matanzas. Yamilé Ramos Cordero, the first secretary of the Communist Party in Pinar del Río, admitted that some circuits in that province had been without power for more than 90 hours, with electricity limited to just three hospitals and, occasionally, the well field supplying the provincial capital.
Nationwide Energy Crisis Sparks Unrest
With a national demand of 2,800 MW and only 920 MW available, the Electric Union predicted a peak time shortfall of 1,910 MW on Sunday. The Electric Company of Guantánamo announced it could only provide about two hours of electricity daily per customer.
Frustration has led to spontaneous protests across several provinces. In Real Campiña, Cienfuegos, residents banged pots and blew horns after five days without power. In Santa Rita, Granma, residents took to the streets on Saturday, chanting "We want power!" In Cabañas, Artemisa, protests occurred on October 9 and 14.
On October 16, a fire at the Ernesto Guevara thermoelectric plant in Santa Cruz del Norte, Mayabeque, increased the simultaneous impact to 75.5% of the national territory, the highest level recorded since generation statistics began being published in 2022, according to Infobae.
Understanding Cuba's Power Crisis
What caused the recent power outages in Matanzas?
The outages were exacerbated by the shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant due to a boiler economizer leak, which required extensive repairs.
How have residents reacted to the power outages?
Residents have expressed frustration and resignation, with some areas experiencing protests and others reporting extended periods without power.
Is the power crisis limited to Matanzas?
No, the power crisis is nationwide, affecting multiple provinces with varying degrees of severity.