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A new workplace accident has cast a shadow over the electrical sector in Cuba. The lineman Cleivi Pujada Castro, an employee at the Playa Baracoa Substation, died while working on a 7.8 kV line belonging to the 13.2 kV circuit, as reported by activists and family members on social media.
The tragic incident occurred in the municipality of Bauta, province of Artemisa, where the young man was carrying out his duties under conditions that, according to reports from co-workers, lacked the necessary protection.
So far, the authorities of the Electric Union (UNE) and the official institutions in the sector have not publicly commented on the matter.
The activist Irma Broek shared a message of condolence and denouncement on her profile, warning about the dangers faced by line workers: “Workers are exposed to constant risks due to the lack of adequate protective measures.”
Their words reflected a recurring concern among employees of the electric system, who work in precarious conditions and without sufficient equipment to ensure their safety.
On his part, the family member Liván Pujada confirmed the news with a message on social media: “It is with great pain and sadness that we announce our beloved Cleivys is no longer with us. He leaves behind his cherished wife and two children who will now have to grow up without their father.”
At the same time, he started a fundraising campaign to provide financial support to the widow, Maikelys, and the children of the deceased.
Another relative, Jorge Pujada Meléndez, expressed his sorrow in an emotional message on Facebook: “Life was unfair to you, and death caught you at your peak. You will live in our hearts forever because you knew how to earn the love, affection, and respect of the entire family.”
The death of Pujada Castro adds to a series of accidents in the Cuban electric sector, where linemen face adverse conditions that include long hours, shortages of materials, and, in many cases, the lack of specialized protective equipment.
These workers are responsible for restoring electrical service after outages and weather events, performing a task that is considered high-risk.
Recent accidents involving linemen in Cuba: A concerning list
The passing of Pujada Castro adds to a long string of tragedies that have struck the Cuban electricity sector in recent years.
Only on September 12, 2025, a lineman was severely electrocuted while working on a pole, and only the swift intervention of residents from San Miguel del Padrón - who came to his aid - allowed for his life to be saved.
A year earlier, on August 15, 2024, another young lineman died after receiving an electric shock while performing maintenance work in Havana.
That same year, two more fatal accidents were recorded: on March 27 in the capital, where a worker lost his life in a workplace accident, and on March 13 in Matanzas, when a lineman died one month after falling from an electric substation.
The list of tragic events continues in 2023. On October 4, another worker died in Villa Clara after receiving an electric shock while performing his duties.
The earliest background dates back to November 3, 2022, when a young lineman died in Pinar del Río under similar circumstances, highlighting that the risks of the profession are not isolated incidents, but part of a pattern that repeats with alarming frequency.
The recurrence of these tragic events in various provinces of the country reflects the vulnerability of electrical workers, who are exposed to precarious conditions and often lack the necessary protection to undertake a profession that demands the highest technical rigor and safety.
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