The theft of dielectric oil leaves a town in Granma in the dark, and the “solution” is to move the transformer to another location

The theft of dielectric oil from a transformer in the Julia community, Bayamo municipality, Granma province, left hundreds of residents without electricity and forced authorities to devise an emergency solution that includes installing a temporary generator and relocating a spare transformer from another site.

The incident occurred last Sunday, when unknown individuals stole the oil from the transformer of the electrical substation that supplies Julia, in the Popular Council of Mabay.

The Electric Company of Granma reported this Tuesday on Facebook that, along with the Ministry of Construction and other entities, it is preparing to install a generator while the replacement transformer is transported. The most revealing detail: this transformer "must be taken from another location," which highlights the scarcity of spare equipment in the Cuban electrical system.

This case is not isolated. In the province of Ciego de Ávila, 41 similar incidents were recorded in 2025, affecting 84 transformers, a figure that reflects the magnitude of the problem on a national level.

Meanwhile, in Las Tunas, a recent incident revealed 600 liters of oil stolen from two transformers, impacting dozens of customers in the municipality of Amancio.

The pattern repeats with alarming frequency. Just four days before the incident in Julia, another theft of dielectric oil had left another Cuban community in the municipality of Amancio Rodríguez without electricity, demonstrating that the authorities have not been able to curb this criminal practice.

In response to the escalation of these robberies, the Cuban regime has intensified its legal response. The current legislation includes prison sentences of seven to 30 years for those who commit acts of sabotage against electrical infrastructure.

Furthermore, the courts have enforced those penalties harshly. The 100% of those tried for electrical sabotage have been sentenced, according to official data. However, the thefts continue, leaving entire communities without power while the national electrical system suffers damage that is difficult to repair.