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A solar panel was stolen last Friday, International Workers' Day, from the Gabinete Integral micro 9-2 in Santiago de Cuba, completely disabling the photovoltaic system that a team from ETECSA had installed to maintain telecommunications services during power outages, as reported on Facebook by engineer Luis Enrique Torres Almarales.
Torres Almarales, associated with ETECSA in Santiago de Cuba, expressed his outrage on social media and demanded a minimum sentence of 30 years in prison for the responsible party, as well as forced labor for cleaning and planting marabú fields.
"On May 1st, a solar panel was stolen from the Gabinete Integral micro 9-2, rendering the photovoltaic system that our team worked hard on and installed with great care inoperable," the engineer wrote.
The theft left a system of approximately two kilowatts with batteries out of service, capable of sustaining fixed telephony and Nauta Hogar access for over 10 hours at night, benefiting more than 560 users.
"Enough of impunity; while some of us work hard, others enrich themselves at the expense of the people," stated Torres Almarales, who described the incident as an act of sabotage against energy solutions during one of the most challenging times the country is facing.
The engineer was explicit in his proposed punishment: "They should face a minimum of 30 years for those who, in such difficult times for the country, wish to sabotage energy solutions. They should be made to work on cleaning fields of Marabú and then planting them so that at least they pay for it, and those who think of doing so shouldn't even dare."
The theft occurs amid a wave of infrastructure thefts affecting Cuba, particularly in the eastern part of the country, where there have been reports of stolen cables, dielectric oil from transformers, and fuel from generator sets.
In Santiago de Cuba, on April 11, a man died and another sustained severe burns while attempting to steal dielectric oil from a transformer in Songo La Maya, highlighting the extent to which the situation has escalated.
The Cuban regime has responded to the phenomenon with stricter penalties. Resolution 475 from the Council of Government of the People's Supreme Court, issued in May 2025, classifies these acts as sabotage to the national electric power system, with sanctions ranging from seven to 30 years, life imprisonment, or even the death penalty.
The official presenter Humberto López arrived to publicly threaten the death penalty for those who damage or steal components of the national electrical system, in statements made on April 11.
Despite the increase in penalties, the 100% of those tried for electrical sabotage between January 2025 and the first quarter of 2026 received over 10 years in prison, according to the People's Supreme Court, but the thefts do not stop.
Torres Almarales concluded his publication with a direct message: “We are in a very complex situation, and they are causing more distress among the people. The loss of values, crime, and theft have gone too far; we need to declare an all-out war on them, zero impunity, a firm hand is what is needed. Enough with words, we need concrete actions.”
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