Puerto Padre: Alcohol distributed after being reported to have been stored for a year

Authorities began the distribution of over 6,000 liters of F5 alcohol in rural warehouses of the municipality of Puerto Padre, in the province of Las Tunas, after it was revealed that the fuel had been stored since 2024 without being delivered to the population.

The report was shared by the Facebook profile of Radio Libertad, a local broadcaster in Puerto Padre, which revealed the existence of 34,000 liters of F5 alcohol stored in the Antonio Guiteras Base Business Unit.

The journalistic investigation conducted by Leidiedi Gómez Hidalgo revealed a highly sensitive situation, directly affecting over 11,000 family units that had not received the product despite its availability.

In the midst of one of the worst energy crises that the Cuban population has experienced in years, characterized by prolonged blackouts and severe limitations on access to fuels, the regime kept this essential resource stored, providing no public explanations until the matter was exposed by the local press.

According to Rosabel Parra Rodríguez, the chief trade specialist in the municipality, alcohol will only be sold to consumers who previously received oil, with an allocation of two and a half bottles per household.

The distribution process has already started in the Vázquez area, and according to Licenciado José Luis Mora Pérez, general director of the Las Tunas Fuel Marketing Company, it will continue until all the warehouses in the municipality are covered, and then extend to other areas of the province.

A year of silence, 340,000 liters stored, and thousands of families waiting

The report about the prolonged storage of alcohol F5 was published on May 5 by the station Radio Libertad, in an article by journalist Leidiedi Gómez Hidalgo.

The text revealed that over 340,000 liters of fuel had been sitting in the Antonio Guiteras Derived Business Unit since October 2024, undistributed despite the escalating energy crisis.

According to the report, the product —essential for preheating kitchens— was not reaching the population due to inaction and lack of coordination among entities such as Comercio, Cupet, and Tecnoazúcar.

Engineer Ramón Gutiérrez García, head of production at Derivados, was the one who initially alerted the station.

From there, contact was made with municipal and provincial officials, many of whom claimed to be unaware of the existence of the problem.

The delay resulted in economic consequences, such as the failure to execute sales worth 8 million pesos and the halt of production due to a lack of storage capacity.

At the same time, thousands of families continued to lack access to fuel while the product gathered dust in the warehouses of Delicias.

The lack of kerosene was one of the justifications given for not selling the alcohol, although since May 2, Cupet already had, according to Commerce, the necessary data to begin distribution.

The contradiction between both versions reflected the institutional disorder and the lack of clear accountability.

"How can one understand that it has not been commercialized due to the absence of another product? How can one comprehend that the alcohol has been stored for months while the kitchens remain cold?" questioned the report.

The journalist concluded by demanding concrete facts, warning that this problem not only affects Las Tunas but also neighboring territories such as Holguín and Camagüey.

The energy crisis in Cuba has reached alarming levels, with multiple provinces affected by a severe shortage of liquefied gas. In Santiago de Cuba, after months without supply, the unloading of a ship with liquefied gas at the Hermanos Díaz Refinery dock has finally begun, along with its distribution.

According to the authorities, a controlled distribution cycle will be implemented, limited to one canister per household, while the population still relies on the use of charcoal for cooking.

In parallel, in Villa Clara, the sale of liquefied gas was suspended due to a technical shutdown of the processing plant caused by a shortage of raw materials. Although hospitals and care centers were given priority, the interruption heightened public discontent.

CUPET promised to resume distribution once international payments are completed, revealing the economic difficulties that prevent the unloading of ships anchored off the Cuban coast.

In Guantánamo, the consequences of the energy crisis forced the educational system to adjust the school schedule. The local government reduced the class hours to prevent students from being stranded without available transportation in the afternoon.

This decision, described in local reports, was made in response to the rising demand for electricity and the shortage of fuel to operate state buses.

The domestic impact of this crisis is also reflected in incidents such as the one that occurred in Santiago de Cuba, where a fire devastated a home, apparently caused by improvised cooking methods.

Although no fatalities were reported, firefighters confirmed that the fire originated in the kitchen, fueled by alternative combustibles such as charcoal, used due to the prolonged absence of liquefied gas.

Frequently Asked Questions about F5 Alcohol Distribution in Puerto Padre