The Cuban regime announced this week a new agreement with the government of Italy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the implementation of an energy transition project on the Isle of Youth, with particular emphasis on the installation of photovoltaic parks, modern electrical grids, and electromobility.
However, the announcement promoted by the National Television News (NTV) reopens an uncomfortable question: What happened to the millions of dollars previously donated by Japan and other countries for similar purposes that were never implemented or whose results remain unclear?
The new project, supported by the Cuban ministries of Energy and Mines, Science and the Environment, and the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security of Italy, was presented in Havana during an initial workshop.
According to the Cuban Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines, Juan Torres Naranjo, the initiative aims to turn the Isle of Youth into a "model" space for transitioning to renewable energy, with the goal of achieving a 100% electricity supply based on clean sources.
But the recent history of energy cooperation in Cuba is marked by unfulfilled promises, financial opacity, and a worrying trend of recycling projects, awarding multiple donations for the same objectives, and failing to account for their outcomes.
Millions donated by Japan… with no visible results
In 2019, the government of Japan donated 30 million dollars to Cuba for the improvement of the national electrical system, including transformers, distribution wires, and specialized vehicles.
In 2022, Tokyo signed a second agreement for 17 million more, this time specifically focused on the Isle of Youth. Both projects had similar objectives to the current agreement with Italy: improving energy efficiency, modernizing grids, and promoting the use of renewable sources.
Despite the magnitude of those resources, there is no public evidence, progress reports, or independent audits showing what was actually done with that money.
Furthermore, in April 2024, the regime announced that it had completed the electrical installation on the Isle of Youth, which further complicates the need for a new three-year project with nearly identical purposes.
A repeated strategy: Raising funds without accountability
The case of the Italian photovoltaic project is not an isolated incident. In October 2024, a note from CiberCuba once again inquired about the over 1,200 million euros in credits and donations for energy and food infrastructure that the regime had received from Russia, without any knowledge of the actual destination of those funds.
This pattern calls into question the legitimacy of the regime's efforts in international cooperation. Duplicate donations, recycled promises, and a lack of measurable results seem to be the norm rather than the exception. Meanwhile, the Cuban population continues to suffer from daily blackouts, collapsing power grids, and prices that are unaffordable for alternative energy sources.
Energy transition or institutional greenwashing?
Beyond the technical and diplomatic language used in the announcement, what is concerning is the lack of systemic transparency.
No Cuban state agency, not even the Ministry of Energy and Mines, publishes detailed reports on the utilization of these funds. The supposedly benefited communities rarely have access to the promised technologies, and the official press echoes a triumphalist narrative without providing evidence.
Transforming the Isle of Youth into a laboratory for energy transition was already a promise in 2022 with the Japanese donation. Today, it is being announced again as if it were something new, without answering a crucial question: What happened to the previous millions?
Solar propaganda amid blackouts: The official narrative versus energy reality
In recent months, the Cuban regime has intensified its propaganda campaign regarding the installation of solar parks, presenting them as the definitive solution to the deep energy crisis facing the country.
Official media and high-ranking officials have enthusiastically announced the connection of new photovoltaic parks to the National Electric System (SEN), promising an additional generation of up to 1,200 megawatts before the end of 2025.
Miguel Díaz-Canel himself recently inaugurated a solar park in Remedios,
However, the Cuban population remains skeptical of these promises, as prolonged and unpredictable blackouts continue to affect their daily lives.
Experts and economists have questioned the viability of the government's approach to renewable energy, noting that without significant changes in management and funding, it is unlikely that the current energy crisis will be resolved.
Moreover, the lack of adequate storage systems, such as batteries, restricts the effectiveness of solar parks, as the energy generated cannot be stored for use during the night or on cloudy days.
Despite the inaugurations and promises, the reality is that the synchronization of new solar parks to the SEN has not brought the improvements expected by Cubans, who have been facing prolonged and unpredictable blackouts for months.
This disconnection between the official narrative and the everyday experiences of the population suggests that the propaganda surrounding solar energy serves more as a tool to divert attention from the inefficiency and corruption in the country’s energy management than as a real solution to the crisis.
Filed under:
