Related videos:
Telecommunications infrastructure in Las Tunas reported 19 acts of vandalism during 2024, according to data from the Telecommunications Company of Cuba S.A. (ETECSA), which is aligned with the Communist Party and is the only one of its kind on the Island. This figure shows some improvement compared to 2023, when 42 incidents were reported. However, last year, even the perimeter fences of ETECSA's facilities in the province were stolen, reports the government-affiliated Periódico26.
Among the main issues that the state-owned company claims to have experienced is the theft of cables, which forced the suspension of 35 telephone services and disabled six public phones.
These crimes occur in the context of an economic crisis affecting the Cuban population. A report from DatoWorld ranked Cuba in March 2023 as the poorest country in Latin America, with an inflation rate that reached 27.7% at the beginning of 2024, according to economist Pedro Monreal.
Food scarcity is another issue facing the population. According to a 2024 study by the Food Monitor Program, 96.27% of surveyed Cuban households reported having serious difficulties obtaining food, and 96.61% found the ration book insufficient to meet their basic needs.
Amid this extreme vulnerability, thefts from ETECSA occur, which has signed agreements with entities and organizations aligned with the Díaz-Canel regime to strengthen the security of its facilities and equipment. Nevertheless, the losses continue, impacting both the company and the citizens who experience interruptions in their communication services
Cable theft is not exclusive to Las Tunas. In Holguín, two men were arrested for stealing electrical cables used to service illegal cockfighting arenas in the areas of Flores, Guayacanes, and Cañadón, in the municipality of Banes.
ETECSA has also reported thefts in Havana, particularly in Arroyo Naranjo and Boyeros. In fact, on July 15, 2024, the company that holds the monopoly on communications in Cuba acknowledged an alarming increase in acts of vandalism against the fixed-line infrastructure, resulting in "prolonged interruptions of basic services and significant economic damage."
They are particularly stealing cables for copper extraction, which is sold at high prices on the black market. In the last quarter of 2023 alone, ETECSA authorities reported 24 acts of vandalism against telecommunications networks in the capital, while 25 similar incidents were recorded in the first half of 2024.
In any case, this is not a passing trend. In September 2023, a young Cuban was arrested by the police for the alleged theft of more than a thousand meters of telephone cable in Santa Clara. According to a note from Minint, he intended to sell the cable for 10 CUP per meter.
Filed under: