Cuban households adapt to unpredictable, prolonged power outages

Extended power outages that can last from several hours to multiple days have become common across Cuba, prompting families to reorganize daily activities around the uncertain return of electricity. In Havana, 72-year-old Leidis Rodríguez and her daughter Yaimara Matos described how they rush to complete chores such as cooking, washing clothes and ironing when brief power bursts occur, often in the early morning hours.

The disruptions are part of a broader crisis that has affected public transportation, tourism and essential services. Tourism jobs have largely disappeared, flights are frequently cancelled and shortages of medicine and food have intensified as refrigeration fails during blackouts.

While power shortages have existed for years, the situation deteriorated after the Trump administration imposed additional sanctions in early 2021 that limited Cuba's oil imports, its primary source of electricity. Previously scheduled outages of two to three hours have given way to unpredictable blackouts lasting 12, 30 or more hours, with the national grid collapsing multiple times this year.

Residents have turned to generators, solar panels sent by relatives abroad, rechargeable fans and solar-powered vehicles to mitigate the impact. Some families rely on wood fires for cooking and store water in plastic bottles in anticipation of supply interruptions.

In several Havana neighborhoods, residents have staged protests by banging pots and burning garbage after outages exceeding 48 hours. Inflation and currency devaluation have further strained households, making it difficult to afford food that may spoil during power cuts.

"When the power comes back on, everyone go!" Rodríguez shouted during a recent brief restoration, reflecting the relief many Cubans feel each time electricity returns.