Cuba experienced a series of severe and widespread power outages throughout 2024 and into 2025, beginning with blackouts in February 2024 that affected nearly half the country and escalating into protests in March over chronic electricity and food shortages. The most critical event occurred on 18 October 2024, when the failure of the Antonio Guiteras Power Plant—the nation's largest—triggered a total nationwide blackout, cutting off power to the entire island for several days. During this crisis, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel blamed the US embargo for preventing essential supplies, while Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz cited fuel shortages and deteriorating infrastructure as the primary causes. The government suspended non-essential services and schools, and even cancelled cultural celebrations to reduce strain on the grid, while the blackout also hampered emergency response to Hurricane Oscar. Further nationwide outages followed in November and December 2024 due to Hurricane Rafael and another failure of the Antonio Guiteras plant, with blackouts continuing into September 2025 amid ongoing mechanical failures and fuel scarcity.