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Four panels from the photovoltaic system of Cabinet #3 of Reparto Micro 7, in Santiago de Cuba, were stolen on Friday, marking the third incident of this nature against telecommunications infrastructure in the city in just over a month.
The incident was publicly reported on Facebook by Luis Enrique Torres Almarales, an engineer at the state telecommunications company ETECSA, who shared photographs of the empty supporting metal structure and the serial numbers of the stolen equipment.
"Once again, the honorable criminals are at it again, taking away the effort and sacrifice of us workers who rise early every day to get ahead and for the well-being of the people," wrote Torres Almarales.
The engineer classified the theft as "sabotage that affects telephone services in the area and results in economic losses for the country."
This is the third incident of this kind that Torres Almarales has reported in Santiago de Cuba since May 1st. The first one occurred on that day, when a panel was stolen from the Micro 9-2 Integrated Cabinet, leaving more than 560 users without fixed telephone service and Nauta Hogar for over 10 nighttime hours.
On May 30, four panels were stolen from cabinet #1 in Reparto Flores, next to the Raúl Pujols Arencibia primary school, leaving another telecommunications node without energy backup.
The pattern is the same in all three cases: nighttime theft of complete panels, leaving only the supporting metal structure.
The phenomenon extends across the entire island. In Holguín, four individuals assaulted and bound the custodian of a pumping station to steal 32 solar panels. In Granma, more than 50 panels and beams were stolen from the Juan Pérez II Photovoltaic Park in Niquero. In Las Tunas, 11 transformer thefts have been reported so far in 2026.
The energy crisis affecting Cuba —with power outages exceeding 20 hours a day in some provinces— has turned solar panels into high-value assets on the black market, where they are resold for domestic use due to the inability to acquire them legally.
Torres Almarales called on citizen vigilance to identify those responsible: "Someone must have seen something; these are not small objects that can be hidden under one's arm."
The engineer demanded the utmost legal rigor: "There needs to be a firm hand, life sentences for those who commit acts of this kind, exemplary trials, and penalties that discourage any criminal from wanting to do so again."
The legal framework exists. The Opinion 475 from the People's Supreme Court, issued in May 2025, classifies these thefts as sabotage under Article 125 of the Penal Code, with penalties ranging from seven to 30 years, permanent deprivation of liberty, or the death penalty in serious cases.
Despite this, the thefts continue. In Ciego de Ávila, courts have issued sentences of up to 12 years for electrical sabotage in recent trials, and according to official reports, 100% of those accused of these crimes between January 2025 and the first quarter of 2026 received sentences of more than 10 years.
"I believe that living like this cannot be normalized," concluded Torres Almarales. "We are in a war economy, and a great effort is being made to maintain the essential services provided to society."
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