The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, acknowledged for the first time that several solar parks in eastern Cuba suffered damage and flooding following Hurricane Melissa, a statement that contrasts with the official messages in recent days regarding the "minimal impacts" on these facilities.
During a report broadcast by Cubadebate, the spokesperson explained that, although the structures withstood the winds, "some panels were damaged" and there are "levels of flooding" that require isolating the systems to prevent short circuits.
"As we have mentioned on other occasions, it is necessary to seek isolation to avoid causing a short circuit later due to the water issue," he noted.
De la O Levy specified that the tours covered Holguín, Granma, and Santiago de Cuba, provinces where significant levels of flooding were observed, especially in areas between Cacocum and Bayamo.
It also acknowledged that the Felton thermoelectric plant is facing difficulties due to the flooding of the cooling wells and that several transmission lines have been affected, with towers downed between Cueto and Bayamo.
The minister's statements contradict the version released by the government and state media days ago, when Miguel Díaz-Canel claimed that the hurricane caused only “minimal damage to solar parks” and described the results as a demonstration of the system's “resilience and effectiveness.”
Furthermore, the Electric Union of Cuba (UNE) had defended its protective measures —such as securing panels with plastic straps— stating that they complied with "international standards" and that the structures were designed to withstand winds of up to 228 kilometers per hour.
However, images and reports later showed that the Río Cauto Solar Park, located in Granma province, was completely flooded and out of service, highlighting the vulnerability of an infrastructure that the government tries to present as a symbol of modernity and efficiency.
While the official discourse insisted on the "victory" of solar parks against the hurricane, the minister's words reveal a more complex reality, marked by accumulated damage, the risk of short circuits, and the pending recovery tasks in an electrical system already battered by years of crisis and lack of maintenance.
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