Una falla en la principal termoeléctrica de Cuba ha provocado un apagón masivo que afecta a dos terceras partes de la isla, según ha confirmado este miércoles el Gobierno del país caribeño. La caída parcial del Sistema Electroenergético Nacional (SEN) de la isla —la segunda en un mes— ha dejado sin luz a cerca de 7 millones de los casi 10 millones que viven en la isla. El colapso afecta también a la capital, La Habana.

El Gobierno no ha precisado por el momento las razones que provocaron la desconexión, que afecta a 10 de las 15 provincias del país, desde la oriental Camagüey hasta el extremo occidental, Pinar del Río. De acuerdo con la televisión estatal, una “salida imprevista” de la central Antonio Guiteras, la mayor generadora de la isla, provocó la enésima caída del sistema energético.

La desconexión de este miércoles es la quinta caída parcial —distinta al colapso de todo el sistema eléctrico, de punta a punta— en menos de seis meses y la mayor del año. El hecho, asimismo, refleja el endeble estado del sistema eléctrico en medio de la presión petrolera de Estados Unidos, que ha cortado en seco el suministro del petróleo venezolano a La Habana y que ha amenazado con imponer aranceles a cualquier país que le envíe crudo, vital para echar a andar su red eléctrica.

Pero el asedio petrolero estadounidense solo empeoró un problema crónico en la isla. Cuba sufre de una crisis eléctrica total que ha empeorado considerablemente en el último año y medio, sobre todo provocado por la caída progresiva de los envíos de petróleo de Venezuela. De hecho, en los últimos 18 meses el SEN cubano ha sufrido cinco caídas totales. Es decir, todo el país a oscuras al mismo tiempo por la incapacidad de generar electricidad.

Como una vía de escape, el Ejecutivo cubano se ha volcado en la instalación de paneles solares, desperdigados por toda la isla. Sin embargo, la apuesta no ha logrado cubrir el enorme pozo que dejó el fin de los envíos de petróleo desde Caracas y Ciudad de México, el último gran valedor de la isla, que también cortó el suministro ante la amenaza arancelaria de Washington. Las termoeléctricas, con más de cuatro décadas en funcionamiento, componen el 40% del mix energético del país, que produce apenas una tercera parte del crudo que necesita para subsistir.

Los apagones son ya parte de la vida diaria de los cubanos, que en los últimos meses se han acostumbrado a cortes que en algunas regiones pueden llegar a superar las 20 horas diarias. Estos cortes, sin embargo, son distintos a las caídas del SEN. En el primer caso, se trata de interrupciones diarias en el servicio por la incapacidad de las obsoletas termoeléctricas —de la era soviética— de satisfacer la demanda.

Sin embargo, las desconexiones del SEN obligan a las autoridades a aplicar una suerte de reinicio que, en el peor de los casos, puede llegar a tardar hasta días en lograr el restablecimiento al 100%. Antes de conocerse la desconexión de este miércoles, la empresa estatal Unión Eléctrica (UNE) advirtió de que hasta el 63 % del país iba a quedarse sin luz en el momento de mayor demanda: al final de la tarde.

Ese momento del día es crítico para el frágil sistema cubano porque coincide con la vuelta a las casas y el encendido de aires acondicionados y ventiladores. A diferencia de gran parte del mundo, en Cuba la mayor demanda de electricidad viene de los hogares y no del sector industrial, herido de muerte desde hace décadas en el país caribeño.

Por el momento, La Habana no ha adelantado cuánto tardarán las autoridades en restablecer nuevamente el SEN. Pero su desconexión parcial es una nueva vuelta de tuerca en una policrisis endémica que ha provocado que el Producto Interno Bruto (PIB) acumule desde 2020 una caída del 15% y que hasta un 20% de la población de la isla haya emigrado en los últimos cinco años.

The pictures confirm it. British actress Emma Watson and Mexican businessman Gonzalo Hevia Baillères have been in a relationship since December 2025. According to photographs published by Quién magazine, the couple have been spotted dining in Mexico City, vacationing in Punta Mita, and kissing inside a Mexican airport.

According to the magazine, the first recorded appearance of the couple was at the Courchevel ski resort in the French Alps at the end of last year. The resort is famous, among other things, for having the steepest international airport in the world. Shortly afterwards, the couple visited Punta Mita, in Nayarit, west of México, one of the most exclusive areas on the Mexican Pacific coast.

According to the magazine, the actress and businessman were in Mexico City recently. However, it is difficult to tell from the photographs whether they were taken in the Mexican capital, on the coast, or somewhere else: the images are blurred or have a motion‑blur effect, as if the shutter had been pressed at the exact moment the camera was moved. What can be made out, however, are the faces of the lovers.

This isn’t the first time the Mexican businessman has been romantically linked to someone from the entertainment world. In 2022, social media accounts and media outlets said that Hevia was in a relationship with Belinda Peregrín Schüll, a Mexican actress and singer. Neither of them ever confirmed the relationship, but photographs also hinted at the romance.

In 2025, Belinda released the song Heterocromía, in which she mocks the luxuries of the upper class in Mexico. The name of the song refers to a condition where the iris of each eye is a different color, either completely or partially. Hevia has this condition.

Gonzalo Heiva Baillères, 28, belongs to one of Mexico’s wealthiest families, the Baillères, owners of the insurance companys GNP and Profuturo, the luxury department stores Palacio de Hierro, the mining and metallurgical group Industrias Peñoles, the brokerage firm Valmex, among other companies. He is heir to one of Mexico’s largest fortunes.

Emma Watson, 35, is a British actress who played Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, a series written by J. K. Rowling beginning in 1997 (with the first book) that went on to achieve immense popularity. In 2001, The Philosopher’s Stone reached movie theaters. Over the next 10 years, Warner Bros. produced eight films. The main actors, including Watson, played their characters throughout that decade, and although the actress has appeared in other films, she is most identified with her role as Granger.

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The immigration policy promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has increased public rejection of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A poll found that, for the first time, support for eliminating the federal agency has reached 50%, reflecting this shift in public opinion, a trend that has intensified following the shooting deaths of U.S. civilians in immigration control operations in Minneapolis and the prolonged partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security over disputes about the agency’s funding.

The poll, conducted by YouGov, a nonpartisan data research group, between February 27 and March 2 among 1,515 adults, shows that half of those surveyed “somewhat or strongly” support the abolition of ICE, compared to 39% who oppose it. This is the first time that support has reached this threshold in the pollster’s historical series, following a steady increase since the beginning of the year.

The increase coincides with the Trump administration’s tightening of immigration policies and a political crisis in Washington: the DHS, which oversees ICE, has been partially shut down since February 13 due to disagreements in Congress over its funding.

Although calls to dismantle ICE have traditionally been driven by progressive Democrats, the new data reveals that support has expanded beyond that base. Seventy-seven percent of Democrats support abolition, but so do 52% of independents. Among Republicans, 68% remain opposed, although 23% now support eliminating the agency, the highest figure recorded among the party’s voters.

Even among those who do not support the elimination of ICE, there is broad consensus on the need to limit the ability of its agents to operate anonymously. Three out of four respondents (75%) believe that officers should wear uniforms that clearly identify them as members of the agency, while only 14% oppose this requirement. Support for this measure is widespread across all parties: 92% among Democrats, 77% among independents, and 57% among Republicans. Likewise, 59% of respondents believe that agents should not hide their faces during operations, and only 31% are in favor of allowing it.

On the other hand, the analysis highlights that a majority of Americans (58%) say that ICE uses excessive force during its operations, an increase of 7% since October. Likewise, only a quarter (27%) of those surveyed believe that the people being deported by ICE are criminals, and 68% say that the shootings that killed U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti during immigration raids should be investigated.

The change also reflects a deterioration in public perception of the president’s handling of immigration. A recent NBC survey showed a 49% disapproval rating for his handling of border security and immigration, an issue that has historically strengthened his support among conservative voters.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced tense questioning in Congress this week, where she was pressured to retract her statements labeling Good and Pretti as “domestic terrorists.” Noem defended her position by claiming she received chaotic reports from the field. Lawmakers pointed out that ICE and Border Patrol officials had previously testified that there was no evidence to support that characterization.

The controversy has also affected other officials. Gregory Bovino, former face of the federal Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, is the subject of state and federal investigations for alleged misconduct during the operations.

Despite growing public support, abolishing ICE faces significant obstacles in Congress, which is currently controlled by Republicans. Experts say it is unlikely that such an initiative will succeed in the short term. However, the shift in public opinion could influence campaign strategies ahead of the midterm elections in November.

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