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The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, urged the country's municipalities to develop their own energy transition strategy "with their own resources" amid the prolonged electrical crisis affecting the island.
The Villa Clara Electric Company reported on its social media that during the most recent session of the Council of Ministers, the official noted that the progress of the territories in developing a comprehensive strategy for changing the energy matrix is still slow.
De la O Levy acknowledged that actions have been taken, such as the delivery of solar panels to doctors, teachers, and children who rely on electricity, but emphasized that each municipality must develop its own plan for energy sustainability.
"The municipality needs to have a sustainability strategy using its ownResources,” stated the leader, a remark that seems to come from someone whose connection to the reality lived by the people appears to be nonexistent.
According to his explanation, only nine municipalities currently have a developed design out of a total of 168 in the country, suggesting that, amidst one of the worst energy crises in the history of Cuba, plans are not being carried out on time.
It also called for an inventory of all renewable sources installed in the territories, both state and private.
The minister mentioned among the planned actions the installation of two-kilowatt photovoltaic solar systems in polyclinics, maternity homes, and ATMs, as well as the recovery of windmills.
All of this, he said, must contribute to the municipal energy strategy.
The statements generated multiple reactions on social media. Felipe Vega Vargas sarcastically remarked that “storytelling skills have reached their peak brilliance.”
María Sarah questioned why, in 2026, there is talk of panels and coal when the population aspires to stable basic services, stating, "I have been hearing the same story for 53 years and things are getting worse every day."
Luis Saborit sarcastically remarked that they could "build a hydroelectric plant with the water leaks" in his municipality, while Yaquelin Álvarez expressed concern about what she considers a normalization of power outages.
Roberto Chaviano Gómez pointed out that now there is “blame being shifted to the municipalities,” referring to the lack of resources and personnel in the territories.
Yasel Miguel Sarduy questioned the existence of solar parks and generators in Cruces, Cienfuegos, which do not directly benefit the municipality, while José Miguel Borroto Molina summed up the feelings of several users by stating that now "the blackouts are the responsibility of the municipalities."
Other comments expressed concern about the approaching summer. Ivette Elena Paz Sarduy warned that life without electricity is a torment and that the heat season will be particularly difficult.
Milagros Fernández stated that the situation is worse than during the Special Period.
The minister's statements come amidst a context of severe energy constraints, with prolonged blackouts in several provinces, fuel shortages, and a deterioration of the national electricity system.
While the government promotes decentralization and the use of renewable sources, a significant portion of the population questions the feasibility of municipalities, with limited resources, taking on the responsibility of addressing the electricity crisis.
In that context, the Cuban Postal Company, through its branch in Sancti Spíritus, published the prices in Cuban pesos (CUP) for the solar panel kits that it began selling amid the deep electrical crisis the country is facing.
The figures exceed two and a half million pesos for the lower power models, an amount that is unattainable for state workers.
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