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Agustín Antonio Villafaña Rodríguez, a recognized Master of Cuban Visual Arts, posted a call on Facebook offering certified original works from his personal collection —ceramics, paintings, and drawings— in exchange for the installation of a 5 kW solar panel kit at his residence-studio in Playa municipality, Havana.
The 73-year-old artist explains that he suffers from a delicate health condition related to his respiratory system and mobility. "I require a fresh, safe, and ventilated environment that will enhance my quality of life," he wrote in the announcement, shared by Hamnet Raymat to reach potential suppliers or collaborators.
"I have decided to make the following proposal, which consists of offering original works from my personal collection, certified and registered in ceramics, painting, and drawing. With the intention of negotiating with a supplier for the installation of a solar panel kit at my residence-studio, which would benefit and alleviate my health and artistic work," Villafaña detailed.
Villafaña is an established figure in Cuban visual arts, with over fifty years of experience. He graduated from the National School of Art of Cubanacán in 1972, and his work has been showcased at international events in over twenty countries. He is the general director of the Casa Yeti studio-gallery, a sociocultural project linked to UNEAC with more than twenty years of experience. In 2018, he was nominated for the National Prize for Plastic Arts of Cuba, the most prestigious award in the field.
The proposal reflects the desperation caused by the energy crisis in all sectors of Cuban society. Cuba ended 2025 with the worst electrical crisis in decades: generation deficits exceeding 2,147 MW and blackouts of up to 24 hours a day in some areas. The national electrical system experienced six total collapses in 18 months, the last one on March 16, 2026, with nine out of the country's 16 thermoelectric plants out of service simultaneously.
In this context, solar panels have become a basic necessity but with deeply unequal access. The Cuban government sells them for over 75,000 pesos, equivalent to more than twenty average salaries, and in the informal market a basic photovoltaic kit can exceed 1,000 dollars.
The magnitude of the problem is evident in the import figures: Cuba acquired 117 million dollars in solar panels from China in 2025, compared to 48 million in 2024 and just five million in 2023, but the distribution does not reach those who need it the most.
Even the director of the Electric Union, Alfredo López Valdés, suggested in October 2024 that Cubans purchase their own solar systems to become independent from the national power grid, implicitly acknowledging the state's inability to guarantee supply.
Those wishing to contact Villafaña can do so through the following phone numbers: +53 72038116, +53 53300846, and +53 53247978. The situation of the maestro—forced to jeopardize decades of artistic creation to ensure minimal health conditions in his own home— vividly illustrates the extent to which the energy collapse in Cuba has penetrated the daily lives of its most recognized citizens.
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