- A breakdown related to the cyclone left the entire country without electricity.

Damage in Pinar del Río (Cuba) after the passage of Hurricane Ian.

Cuba suffers a total blackout due to Hurricane Ian

Cuba was left without electricity on Tuesday night "in any area" of the country due to "a breakdown" related to weather conditions due to the passage of Hurricane Ian, as confirmed by the Electric Union (UNE).

The state company reported in a concise press release that the "National Electric System has an exceptional condition, zero electricity generation [without electricity service to the country]."

According to the official Juventud Rebelde media, the failure occurred at 5:57 p.m. local time. He added that the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, one of the country's largest generators, "has left the system and cannot synchronize."

"Currently, work is being done continuously on the reconnection of the system, the work will be extended during the night of today, Tuesday, and into the early hours of tomorrow, Wednesday," reported Lázaro Guerra, the firm's technical director.

For its part, the Ministry of Energy and Mines - on which the Electric Union depends - pointed out that the failure is "in the western, central and eastern links" and that "its solution requires great precision."

In the morning, the UNE had foreseen a deficit for this day of 15%. However, the strong winds and torrential rains caused by Ian have caused blackouts throughout the Cuban geography, initially recorded in the western area, where the category 3 hurricane made landfall at dawn.

The blackouts —due to breakdowns and failures in the outdated power plants, lack of fuel, and scheduled maintenance— have been long and frequent for months in Cuba. However, at no point in the current energy crisis has there been a simultaneous blackout across the country.

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