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The security personnel of the Las Nereidas Photovoltaic Solar Park, in Ciego de Ávila, thwarted an attempt to steal photovoltaic modules during the early hours of May 20, when two intruders were detected trying to dismantle panels in the southwest area of the facility.
The guards acted quickly, and the intruders fled before imminent capture without managing to steal any panels, according to the provincial newspaper Invasor.
Had the theft been completed, the consequences for the provincial electrical system could have been significant. Each photovoltaic panel can cost thousands of dollars in the international market, and its removal would have not only represented a substantial material loss for the Empresa Eléctrica Ciego de Ávila, but it would have also reduced the generation capacity of the facility.
Amid the energy crisis the country is experiencing, the theft is said to have reduced the contribution of the park to the provincial electricity system. The collateral damage to support structures, wiring, or connection systems may have also left other panels inoperative, increasing repair costs.
Following the incident, the facility strengthened its security measures: cold welding A+B was applied to secure the panels to their frames and make disassembly more difficult, nighttime patrols were coordinated with the police, and the perimeter fencing was reinforced.
The incident adds to a series of Thefts against solar and electrical infrastructures reported in Cuba during 2026. Just in May, four individuals attacked and tied up the guard of a pumping station in Holguín to steal 32 solar panels; a supervisor at a photovoltaic park in Guanabacoa was apprehended for stealing more than 40 meters of cable, leaving 24 panels out of service; and in Santiago de Cuba, four panels were stolen from a telecommunications cabinet belonging to Etecsa, leaving a critical node without backup power.
In Ciego de Ávila, there have also been recent precedents. In March 2026, two men were sentenced to 9 and 7 years in prison for stealing approximately 50,000 screws intended for the assembly of solar panels, resulting in a calculated loss of 617,907.77 Cuban pesos. Additionally, on May 25, courts in the province imposed sentences of up to 12 years for sabotage related to the theft of dielectric oil and electrical wiring.
In light of the increase in these incidents in various provinces, the Supreme People's Tribunal issued Opinion 475 in May 2025, which allows certain actions against strategic infrastructure of the electroenergetic system to be processed as sabotage. Under this legal framework, penalties can range from seven to 15 years in prison in basic cases and may be greater when particularly severe circumstances are present.
The case of Las Nereidas adds to a series of thefts that have affected electrical and solar infrastructures in several provinces over the past few months, in a context marked by blackouts, fuel shortages, and the deterioration of Cuba's energy infrastructure.
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