Related videos:
A court in Ciego de Ávila sentenced two men to nine and seven years in prison for the theft of approximately 50,000 screws used in the assembly of the metal structures that support solar panels.
According to information published this Friday by the official newspaper Invasor, the Criminal Chamber of the Provincial Court in the central province recently issued a conviction against those responsible for the crime of sabotage, as defined in Article 125 of the Penal Code, for “the theft of resources intended for a project of significant importance to the National Electric System.”
As part of Case No. 2 of 2026, the judicial instance proved the involvement of the accused in the theft of the aforementioned items in a trial described as "exemplary," the source specified.
Authorities indicated that the action resulted in an economic impact exceeding 620,000 pesos on the Electric Company, due to the costs associated with the purchase and transportation of new materials, as well as the delays caused in the execution of the project.
When delivering the ruling, the court considered the "high level of harm" of the act, its economic and social impact, the current context of the country, and the strategic importance of investments related to the energy sector.
The personal circumstances of the defendants, their confession to the authorities, and the cooperation they provided during the investigation were also taken into account.
As a result of the judicial process, both were sentenced to nine and seven years of imprisonment.
The sentence also includes additional sanctions, among them the deprivation of public rights and a prohibition on leaving the country.
The court also ordered that the convicted individuals must compensate for the material damage caused to the Cuban State, calculated at 617,907.77 pesos.
According to the official report, during the investigation and the oral trial, the procedural guarantees established in the Constitution and in the Criminal Procedure Law were upheld.
Both the sanctioned parties and the Prosecutor's Office have the right to file the appropriate appeals against the court decision.
The announcement of the trial comes amid the most severe energy crisis Cuba has faced in recent years, characterized by prolonged blackouts, generation deficits exceeding 1,800 MW during peak hours, and an aging thermoelectric system that suffers from recurring breakdowns.
In this context, the authorities have insisted on the accelerated construction of solar parks as part of the official strategy to alleviate the electricity shortage.
At the beginning of February, the Unión Eléctrica boasted that the country had achieved a "record" of over 800 MW of photovoltaic generation during a midday segment, while state media highlighted the installation of more than 1,000 MW of solar capacity throughout 2025.
However, these daytime production peaks contrast with the nighttime reality of the electrical system, when demand exceeds 3,000 MW and availability barely hovers between 1,200 and 1,300 MW, which keeps massive electricity blackouts across the country.
Filed under: