The "Planta Libertad" Business Unit, a canned goods factory located in the municipality of Colón, was the site of an alleged sabotage act that left the facility without electrical and telecommunications service.
According to information shared on Facebook by user Tamara Carvajal, two individuals with their faces covered cut fiber optic cables and approximately 20 meters of electrical conductors, disrupting the operation of the plant at a particularly critical time for food production on the island.
The accused were apprehended during a night patrol organized by the factory's management in conjunction with workers from the facility. Following the confrontation, they were arrested and subsequently placed at the disposal of the courts on charges of sabotage, one of the crimes most severely punished in the current Cuban context.
The fact, beyond its immediate impact, reflects a reality that is becoming increasingly common: the deterioration of infrastructure and the rise of attacks against electrical and communication networks amid scarcity.
In recent months, Matanzas has been the scene of several similar cases. In November 2025, a man was arrested in the municipality of Colón for stealing cables and batteries at a photovoltaic solar park. Months earlier, in March, two individuals were apprehended in Cárdenas after stealing over 1,100 meters of electrical cable.
The official response was prompt, but it followed a familiar script. Following the capture, the plant organized a "special morning session" to publicly recognize the workers involved in the confrontation, in an event loaded with political symbolism. The activity was presented as a demonstration of the "indissoluble unity" of the workforce and as a prelude to the celebrations of May 1st, in a narrative that seeks to reinforce the image of cohesion amid the crisis.
However, behind these actions lies a much more complex situation. The Libertad Plant, founded in 1943 and with over eight decades of history in food processing, only managed to resume tomato production in February 2026. It did so amid serious economic constraints, shortages of supplies, and a collapsed electrical system that affects every production day.
The increase in these incidents has also been accompanied by an unprecedented tightening of the law. The current Cuban Penal Code includes the crime of sabotage, with penalties ranging from seven to 30 years in prison, and even the death penalty in the most severe cases. This was further reinforced by Opinion 475 from the People's Supreme Court, issued in May 2025, which explicitly expanded this criminal offense to actions against the national electrical system, solar parks, and telecommunications networks.
Since then, authorities have stated that all those accused of sabotage have received sentences of over 10 years in prison, a clear indication of the "zero tolerance" policy towards these crimes.
In a country marked by prolonged blackouts, shortages, and growing social despair, these episodes not only impact key infrastructures: they also highlight the level of tension experienced in the daily lives of Cubans, where the line between survival, illegality, and repression becomes increasingly blurred.
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