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Residents of Carnicería Street, in the center of Santiago de Cuba, have been without electricity for over four days after a transformer was removed by a team of workers, according to independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada's report on Saturday.
The brigade informed residents that the equipment had an "internal fault," but did not provide a date for replacement or any additional explanations. The impact affects several blocks in the area between Carnicería, Trinidad, and San Ricardo streets.
"There is no date for replacement, no clear explanations, and no alternative for the affected families," wrote Mayeta Labrada while sharing the images, which show Soviet-made crane trucks and workers in yellow helmets and blue overalls dismantling the equipment from the poles.
Meanwhile, the neighbors are forced to cook in the streets, endure sweltering temperatures, and watch as the little food they manage to preserve goes to waste due to a lack of refrigeration.
On Saturday, a similar situation was also reported in the town of Altamira, specifically on 1st Rojas Street, where another transformer was removed and families are awaiting a response.
What worries residents the most is not just the lack of power, but the question regarding the fate of the removed equipment. “The question that is beginning to be repeated among the population is: where do those transformers go once they are taken away?” the journalist pointed out.
Although there is no official confirmation, residents from various localities claim to have witnessed entire neighborhoods' transformers being dismantled while blackouts persist without resolution, fueling suspicions that the equipment might be being moved to prioritized circuits or areas where leaders reside.
The reports come amid an unprecedented electrical crisis. On Saturday, the Electric Union reported a availability of just 1,270 MW against a maximum demand of 3,050 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1,780 MW, with eight out of the 16 thermal units out of service.
Santiago de Cuba is one of the most affected provinces in eastern Cuba. On June 1st, a manager from the local Electric Company publicly admitted that in many cases they could not guarantee even two hours of daily electric service.
The shortage of transformers and spare parts further exacerbates the situation. The Electric Company of Guantánamo reported having eight damaged transformers with no equipment available to replace them. Across the island, transformers have become targets of systematic theft of dielectric oil; in Songo La Maya, an explosion linked to this type of theft left one dead and one injured in April.
The energy crisis has sparked a series of protests in Santiago de Cuba. Last Friday, residents of the José Martí district demonstrated demanding electricity and food, with slogans such as "we want power," "food for our children," and "down with the dictatorship." On June 5, residents of Micro 2 held pot banging protests after more than ten days without electricity due to a broken transformer that had not been repaired.
"It is time for the top party authorities in Santiago de Cuba to speak clearly and for the Electric Company of Santiago de Cuba to respond regarding the removal of the transformers and their actual location," demanded Mayeta Labrada.
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