CUBA: Power Outages, the Weakening of the National Infrastructure and its Impact on Educational Activities and Related Services

by: Eva-Angela Adan

The Cuban educational system continues to deteriorate due to the weakening of the soft and hard
national infrastructures that have impacted all sectors of society. Ongoing power outages had been
plaguing the country since the first quarter of 2024, but were accelerated with the collapse of the
Antonio Guiteras Power Plant in Matanzas (built in 1988). The devastation of hurricanes in the
latter part of 2024 left the island in the dark between October 18 and November 6 due to power grid
failure. From October 17 to 23, 2024, non-essential public services and school activities were
suspended. Later on, only essential services, facilities, and government offices were operating
during restricted times. Irrespective of when the power could be minimally restored for a few hours
to provincial cities and neighborhood areas, the arrival of Hurricane Oscar (October 20, 2024) to the
most eastern province of Oriente and Hurricane Rafael (November 6, 2024) would represent an
additional impact on general operations at the national level. These events caused constant
blackouts nationwide, leaving millions of citizens without electricity and affecting the country’s
infrastructure at all societal levels, from suspending school operations to essential official services
and labor in general.1

Without electricity, educational centers and institutions ceased to operate for a short period of time.
According to published government news, all school levels were expected to reopen on Monday,
October 28, 2024, at the national level amid the intermittent power cuts during school sessions.
However, the reinstatement of educational activities in the zones affected by the hurricanes was not
determined, and the government could not guarantee when regular power services would be restored
nationwide. During this time period, the US Embassy-Consular Services in Havana suspended
operations, except for emergency services, due to the ongoing power outages.

Since the beginning of 2025, the Cuban energy crisis has worsened due to the obsolete
infrastructure that has rendered more than 40-year-old power plants inoperable and inactive due to a
lack of spare parts and fuel. This national situation has resulted in cities and municipalities lacking
electricity nowadays for up to 20 and 22 consecutive hours and entire days. The problem appears to
be more severe in Pinar del Rio and the Oriental provinces. According to government news, the
Electric Union (UNE) confirmed the temporary shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras Power Plant by
May 4, 2025, at 8:15 am “because the system is not meeting the national demand. The maintenance,
according to the state, will last for at least five days, which anticipates a week of severe blackouts
across the country.” Following the announced period in early May 2025, the regular distribution of
electricity to the national territory is being limited to two-to-three-hour blocks per day (early
mornings, afternoons or nights) in selected areas or zones within provincial cities and municipalities
of the island. In the capital city of Havana, the shortages average from three to six hours at the most.
The ongoing energy crisis has resulted in the suspension of non-essential work at times and the
limitation of hours of service in general. Generators are not a general commodity in schools,
academic institutions (secondary and postsecondary), general operating offices, and other service
entities. Specialized schools in some areas, like the vocacionales or vocational secondary schools in
the arts and music, and IPVCE/Institutos Preuniversitarios Vocacionales de Ciencias Exactas (upper
secondary schools for the study of exact sciences) may have generators to support their activities.
However, most school levels have been operating without electricity. Curricular laboratory sessions
and practicals may be postponed or rescheduled during the academic terms according to power availability

in the specific geographical zones. All academic requirements (e.g., projects, thesis,
etc.) must be completed for graduation, which continues to be held in July. Graduation ceremonies
at all levels were held in July 2025.

The lack of electricity flow impairs connectivity and technical support in all areas, resulting in
limited labor hours in the workplace. Managing service requests, searching archival documents,
downloading official records, copying, printing, and releasing any documentation have become a
slow process. From personal testimonies obtained on an ongoing basis, there are long backlogs at
offices processing documentation requests of any nature, producing official records, and
authenticating them. These include services from Consultorias Juridicas, Bufetes de Servicios
Especializados, and government offices. Rolling blackouts daily throughout the island impact the
availability of internet, social media, and mobile networks to obtain and provide information. The
use of landlines is also limited and does not facilitate communication with the public in and outside
the country. Attempting to contact the Consultorias or Bufetes by e-mail or telephone has been an
exercise in futility for all. I can corroborate that from personal experience. Since courier services
appear to be operating under unusual delays, Cubans on the island are using visiting family
members or friends to send documentation outside the country.

The repercussions of this situation for admissions and evaluation professionals in the US and
internationally are challenging. During general institutional closings mandated by the government
as a result of hurricanes and severe blackouts nationally, transcripts were not issued. Furthermore,
ministries, government offices, and departments responsible for authenticating academic records
and degrees, which were considered non-essential services, were not operating. Therefore,
evaluation professionals may need to be cautious when reviewing academic records and accepting
the authentication of documents allegedly processed, stamped, and issued by the official authorities
between 2024 and early 2025. See Cuban blackout dates up to March 2025 on 2024–2025 Cuba
blackouts – Wikipedia. Additional blackouts in May 2025 are specified in this text.

Important recommendations

The proliferation of fraudulent documentation during periods of national disasters, wars,
government changes, etc., opens doors to opportunists to manufacture degrees, transcripts, and all
types of documentation. Modern technology makes it a fast, marketable business. Unless
professionals are savvy and experienced in the exercise of dissecting and analyzing academic
records, they may fail to detect uncharacteristic features or incorrect dates. This may result in the
acceptance of a document as a bona fide official diploma/degree or academic transcript. For
professionals who maintain a library of sample documentation, it is crucial to compare any new
document that has reached your desk, allegedly issued as official by the appropriate authorities
between 2024 and 2025, against a document received in the past.
Recipients of Cuban academic documentation for education and employment purposes must pay
attention to the dates such records were issued, the stamps appearing on the records, as well as the
Cuban region and institution where the documentation originated. The passage of Hurricane Oscar
in 2024 in Baracoa, province of Guantanamo, resulted in damaged buildings and areas underwater.
The Centro Universitario de Baracoa (university) could have been impacted; damages were not
specified. The University of Camaguey Ignacio Agramonte Lloynaz suspended classes and related
academic activities on December 5, 2024, due to the energy crisis. Educational activities were
adjusted at the time, and they continue to be adjusted according to favorable conditions in the area.

The Consultoria or Bufetes responsible for verifying, authenticating, and mailing documents to the
USA are subject to the same power outages as the rest of the country. Therefore, continuous
services were not provided during blackouts from October 5 to December 5, 2024, and also the first
five months of 2025 when the national distribution of electricity was severely restricted. Any
documentation allegedly processed by the Consejerías Jurídicas and similar services during these
uncertain times on the island must be checked thoroughly. Attention must be paid to dates, seals and
stamps from the corresponding government authorities that appear traditionally on the records. Do
not trust any documents that cannot or do not appear to have been authenticated by the
MINREX/Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores for overseas purposes (para uso fuera del territorio
nacional).

Power outages continue as of September 2025, including a total disconnection of the electric system
on September 10. The hurricane season is upon us, the last quarter of 2025, and any updates
regarding the impact of hurricanes, the progressive suspension of electricity, and the adverse
consequences of these events on the educational operations and activities in the island will be
provided in the immediate future, along with current updates on the educational system.

Sources Consulted:
1 Wikepedia, https;//en.wikepedia.org/wik/24-25 Cuba Blackouts
2024–2025 Cuba blackouts – Wikipedia
‘The Rio Times’, Swiss News Base
https://havanatimes.org