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A Cuban from the municipality of Rafael Freyre, in the province of Holguín, publicly reported that someone intentionally damaged his solar photovoltaic panel, and issued a direct warning to the perpetrator: "May I never find out, because if I do, I will preempt karma."
Yunier Batista González posted the complaint in the Facebook group "Revolico Freyre" along with a photo of the destroyed panel.
The image shows two impact points with extensive radial fractures and completely shattered glass, a typical pattern of a blow with a blunt object, indicating that it was neither an accident nor incidental.
In the current Cuban context, where the energy collapse severely impacts civil society, some – with great effort – manage to acquire photovoltaic systems, often at high prices.
From there, the reactions came swiftly. Marta Sánchez, one of the people who commented on the post, was emphatic about it: "A stone doesn't break a panel. They climbed up and hit it with something very heavy," suggesting that the assailant had direct physical access to the equipment.
Yunier expressed gratitude for the support received and described the true extent of the damage: "They ruined our efforts, our economy, our comfort, and the saddest part is that they instilled panic in my family," he wrote, and added a warning to the responsible party: "Prepare to meet hell if I ever come across you."
The community pointed to envy as the main motivation behind the act. Yadira Infante wrote: "That was an envious person who will never in their life be able to have any," while Litzandra Bello expressed: "I don't understand how a human being can become so miserable. Envy is one of the worst flaws that can exist."
An anonymous participant from the municipality was more direct: "Honestly and definitively, in Freyre there are more envious and cowardly people than humble ones; everything is paid for in peace."
Franklin Ibáñez recalled that when solar panels began to proliferate in Cuba, he already anticipated this scenario: "I told myself that at any moment a publication would come out stating that some had been vandalized," and he mentioned the case of a Cuban in Pinar del Río who was publicly criticized for installing protections on his panels, foreseeing exactly this type of aggression.
Robert Ramírez captured the sentiment of many with a phrase: "People mess with the efforts of others."
The incident occurs amid the worst energy crisis Cuba has faced in decades, with power outages lasting up to 25 hours daily and a deficit of 1,800 MW affecting 64% of the country.
In this context, solar panels have become a luxury item: in the informal market they cost between 990 and 1,000 dollars, equivalent to more than two years of the average Cuban salary, which creates significant inequality and tension among neighbors between those who can maintain light during blackouts and those who remain in the dark.
Vandalism against electrical and solar infrastructures is an emerging phenomenon in the province: only in Holguín were there 27 incidents in 2025, with losses exceeding 529,000 Cuban pesos, including the theft of 180 meters of photovoltaic cable at the Oscar Lucero pumping station, which left areas without water for over 60 days and was only reactivated this past Sunday.
Dorilma Lissabet Velázquez concluded with a reflection that captured the mood of the community: "Envy leads to such actions, but as you rightly say, karma exists and the one who did it pays for it themselves."
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