Guantánamo, shaken by a magnitude 6 earthquake early this morning, while Granma and Santiago de Cuba remain outside the National Electric System (SEN)
14ymedio, Havana, March 17, 2026 – The reconnection of Cuba’s national electric system (SEN) is progressing very slowly, and by 8 a.m. this Tuesday, 18 hours after the grid collapse, it was possible to link the system from Pinar del Río to Holguín. The three easternmost provinces are still operating with microsystems while awaiting the startup of the Felton thermoelectric plant to achieve full integration of the SEN.
In the morning, 38% of Havana had electricity, totaling 332,926 customers, and 40 hospitals had power. The vice prime minister, Inés María Chapman, reported that the absolute priority is water supply, which was affecting hundreds of thousands of people in the capital, with three pumping stations restored. The weather helped ease the situation overnight, with slightly cooler temperatures in the capital and early morning rain, which intensified in the morning and helped people get through the night without air conditioning or fans.
Meanwhile, in the east, panic was widespread, as the darkness was compounded by an earthquake a few kilometers from Imías, in Guantánamo. The tremor, with a magnitude of 6, struck at 12:28 a.m. this Tuesday and had several aftershocks, according to O’Leary Fernando González Matos, director of the National Center for Seismological Research, who warned that the situation would be monitored and urged the population to “stay informed through official media” during the blackout. “The east is collapsing with the tremors and in darkness. It’s a curse,” lamented a user on social media.
Most reports on social media indicate that the earthquake was felt very strongly in areas near the epicenter, as well as in neighboring Santiago de Cuba, although no serious damage is known, and some residents reported having connectivity through Nauta Hogar and some electricity. “I was exhausted; the bed shook, and the noise woke me up. It’s the biggest earthquake I’ve felt in my life,” one user said. “The tremor was extremely strong; the movements were felt continuously. The electrical cables swayed like a kite. It sounded like a train moving forward dragging houses. Neighbors went out into the streets, others were sleeping and didn’t even notice. We’re waiting for aftershocks; damage is unknown; only comments and experiences remain,” added another.
In Santiago, where the tremor was also strongly felt, a microsystem remains in place using the Santiago Este and Pavón engines to supply healthcare centers.
If the good news of the night was the startup of the 10 de Octubre thermoelectric plant in Nuevitas, Camagüey, whose Unit 6 began contributing about 80 megawatts (MW) to the system after receiving external power, by morning, Unit 8 in Mariel, Unit 3 at Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, and the Antonio Guiteras plant were in the startup process, with the latter ready to begin ignition.
“Power may come and go in circuits that have already been restored while the system stabilizes,” authorities in Camagüey warned last night.
In Sancti Spíritus, according to sources from 14ymedio, security was at its highest last night, with surveillance at institutional buildings and mobilization at workplaces due to the risk of spontaneous demonstrations, although some employees resisted complying with the requirement. At this time, 71,221 customers have service, although authorities warn: “It is important to note that some circuits were restored and then affected again, although they did not include vital services,” all in an effort to balance the system.
In Matanzas, progress was theoretically broader, with 21% of the population – nearly 67,000 users – having service, including some areas of Cárdenas and the historic center of the provincial capital. Authorities there announced the sale of prepared food, water distribution via tanker trucks, and the “use of amateur radio systems to maintain communication between municipalities.”
In Villa Clara, there are 48 MW available at this time, and all municipalities have some electricity, except Corralillo and Ranchuelo. Hospitals in Santa Clara, Sagua la Grande, Caibarién, and Placetas have power, as do the Palmarito and Minerva-Ochoíta water systems, which are operational. The provincial electric company warned, however, that there will be no rotation of circuits until the major thermoelectric plants are synchronized.
In Las Tunas, reconnection occurred at 1 a.m., with 25 MW available at dawn. The official press emphasized that “for the first time in months, the fuel oil (Delicias) and diesel (Las Tunas) plants were synchronized simultaneously,” sending power toward Holguín to support the startup of the Felton thermoelectric plant.
In Holguín, where this plant is located, the connection was achieved after 6 a.m., with service in several circuits and illuminated areas in Mayarí, Nipe, Báguano, and Banes.
As happened during the last disconnection of the SEN, which left two-thirds of the Island in darkness two weeks ago, the lack of oil is complicating the initial startup of all systems, although most of the population can no longer distinguish between a general outage and a scheduled blackout due to shortages. “This can’t be endured anymore. Please, all of you leave, because none of you fulfill the responsibility of guaranteeing basic services to the people,” cried a woman from Guanabacoa on social media.
The causes of this outage are, this time, more unclear than usual. The general director of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Lázaro Guerra, told state television that the causes are under investigation and that “all system parameters are being analyzed” to identify what happened.
“So far, all parameters are normal,” he added, and noted that “no issues were reported in the generating units that were in service at the time of the blackout.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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