Related videos:
At least eight young individuals were detained in Guantánamo for the systematic theft of rechargeable solar lamps from public lighting, in a police operation that also uncovered the involvement of six >receivers who were reselling the stolen equipment to private businesses.
According to the information shared this Monday on the Facebook page "Guantánamo and its Truth", associated with the Ministry of the Interior (Minint), those involved, residents of the northern and southern areas of the main municipality, are linked to at least 10 incidents reported during May.
The robberies were committed during the early morning hours, and the most affected areas include the ring road from Paseo to 5 Norte, areas near the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Plaza Mariana Grajales, and the surroundings of the train terminal.
The case is not limited to the thieves. Up to now, six receivers have also been identified, who were buying the lamps at prices between 15,000 and 20,000 Cuban pesos, mainly for private businesses.
As a result of police actions, more than 20 solar lighting units were recovered. According to the photographs published, the devices are of the "Solar Street Light" type, all-in-one models of 150W with IP65 protection, designed for public lighting.
The investigation remains open, and "new arrests of individuals directly linked to these events, as well as other potential receivers within this chain, are not ruled out," the statement noted. Authorities have not disclosed the identities of those arrested so far.
The source warned that, beyond the arrests, the case "leaves open questions" about "surveillance, the responsibility of those who purchase items of questionable origin, and the real impact on the safety of areas that are now once again left in the dark."
The incident occurs against the backdrop of a severe energy crisis affecting the entire country, where prolonged blackouts turn solar lamps into highly valuable goods in the informal market, encouraging their theft and resale.
The regime has responded to the increase in theft of electrical infrastructure with an extreme punitive policy. The Decree 475 of the People's Supreme Court, issued in May 2025, classifies the theft of components from solar facilities and other elements of the National Electric Power System as sabotage—a crime against state security—with sentences ranging from seven to 30 years in prison, life imprisonment, or even the death penalty in severe cases.
The precedents are illustrative: 100% of those tried for sabotage against the electrical system between January 2025 and the first quarter of 2026 received sentences of more than 10 years in prison.
Courts in Ciego de Ávila imposed sentences ranging from seven to 12 years on those accused of stealing streetlight cables and dielectric oil, during trials held in April and May of this year. In March, two men were sentenced to prison for stealing nearly 50,000 screws intended for the assembly of solar panels, resulting in estimated damages of over 617,000 pesos.
Filed under: