MAJOR BLACKOUT LEAVES MILLIONS WITHOUT POWER IN WESTERN CUBA . (PHOTO).

Major blackout leaves millions without power in western Cuba 

 A massive blackout left millions without electricity across Havana and western Cuba on Wednesday, highlighting the island’s ongoing struggles with a deteriorating power grid and shrinking oil reserves. Authorities said the outage began after a shutdown at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant, one of the country’s largest, which experienced a boiler leak. Officials warned it could take at least 72 hours to restore the plant to full operation. The government has prioritized electricity for critical infrastructure such as hospitals and clinics while repair crews work to bring the rest of the system back online.

By late Wednesday, only about 2.5% of Havana’s customers had power restored, according to government reports. Residents adapted to the blackout with neighborhood cooking, domino games under rechargeable lights, and musicians playing along the city’s seawall. Many faced disrupted transportation, as buses were unable to run due to fuel shortages. Officials said Cuba’s power system faces chronic issues, including decades-old plants with minimal maintenance and limited access to replacement parts due to U.S. sanctions. The blackout comes amid dwindling oil supplies after halted Venezuelan shipments, with previous outages already demonstrating the fragility of the nation’s electrical infrastructure.