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Neighbors from the 1st of May neighborhood in the Havana municipality of Boyeros publicly reported that a short-circuited streetlight, which was reported over two months ago without any response from the Electric Company of Havana, has left their block in the dark and has already resulted in at least one theft.
The complaint was posted by Osdani Hernández Alfonso in the Facebook group "Eléctrica de Cuba...what unites us," one of the main channels for citizen pressure in response to institutional inaction on electricity matters.
According to reports from the neighbors, on April 5, 2026, they formally reported—under file number 16046—a streetlight with visible sparks and a risk of fire and electrocution on 178th Street (1st South) between 180 and 182, in front of number 17805.
“More than two months later, the company has not sent any teams,” the publication notes.
The original problem was a faulty installation with exposed wires that the neighbors themselves had to manually handle to turn the lights on and off.
Faced with the imminent danger and total inaction, a neighbor had to disconnect the wires to prevent a disaster, leaving the block completely in the dark.
The consequence was swift: "At least one robbery has been reported in the block taking advantage of the lack of light. Insecurity is on the rise," warns the report.
The attached photographs show an aged wooden post with improvised electrical wires wrapped around it, handmade connections made with twisted copper threads lacking insulation, and rudimentarily applied electrical tape.
The neighbors did not limit themselves to making complaints: they specifically referenced the Cuban Constitution of 2019, Law 139/2020 regarding municipal obligations for public services, and Articles 256 and 274 of the Penal Code (Law 151/2022), which classify the negligence of officials and endangerment of the life or health of citizens as offenses.
"The omission of duties by an official that causes harm or danger is a crime. Endangering the life or health of citizens is also a crime. You have committed both," states the text addressed to the state-owned company.
Within seven business days, the residents demand the deployment of a repair crew, a written response with the name and position of the person responsible, and an inspection of the block to identify additional faulty installations.
The case is set against an electricity crisis that particularly affects Boyeros. In May 2026, blackouts in the municipality reached up to 22 hours daily, within a national context of generation deficits exceeding 1,700 MW.
The relationship between darkness and the increase in crime is a documented phenomenon in Cuba. The Cuban Citizens' Audit Observatory recorded 2,833 crimes in 2025, a rise of 115% compared to 2024 and 337% compared to 2023.
On the same Tuesday, just a day before this complaint, the police arrested eight young individuals in Guantánamo involved in a series of thefts and illegal sales of solar lamps from public lighting, highlighting the dual aspect of the issue: the lighting as a victim of theft and as a factor that, when it fails, facilitates other crimes.
The strategy of citing Cuban laws in citizen complaints is an increasingly common tactic to lend legitimacy and formal pressure to claims made to state institutions that, in practice, systematically ignore reports from the population.
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