Two-thirds of Cuba, including Havana, hit by blackout

The silhouette of the Capitol stands out at dawn in Havana on March 03, 2026. YAMIL LAGE / AFP

A grid failure knocked out power to two-thirds of Cuba, including Havana, on Wednesday, March 4, the national electric company UNE said.

The issue stemmed from an "unexpected" breakdown at the Antonio Guiteras power plant, one of the island's largest, the utility said, adding that the center and west of the island were affected.

Cuba's electricity generation system is in shambles. Daily power outages of up to 20 hours are the norm in parts of the impoverished island, which lacks the fuel needed to generate power.

The crisis has become more acute since the US ouster of Cuba's top ally, Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, on January 3.