Two thefts of dielectric oil from transformers, occurring since early 2026 in the towns of Vila and Montoto, have accumulated over 1,000 liters stolen and have left nearly 200 customers without electricity in the municipality of Primero de Enero, in the province of Ciego de Ávila.
The first incident took place in Vila, where individuals extracted around 200 liters from a transformer, affecting nearby homes and a poultry-based business unit.
The second and most recent incident occurred in Montoto, bringing the total to over 1,000 liters stolen, reported the official newspaper Invasor.
Miguel Ángel Chamorro Pereira, head of operations at the Basic Electric Organization (OBE) in the municipality, specified that the theft in Montoto "affected nearly 200 customers" and acknowledged that the shortage of transformers in Cuba hinders quick replacements after each loss.
Both locations are situated within the production units of the municipality, and following the thefts, they endured periods of complete shutdown due to the limited availability of the liquid that prevents the equipment from overheating.
In response, the Electric Company of Primero de Enero has strengthened security at the 33 kV substation in Montoto, which now has four permanent guards.
Daimy Zamora Arteaga, the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba in the municipality, urged for increased monitoring in the neighborhoods where these transformers are located, which are essential for ensuring the electricity supply.
Authorities also highlight the need to combat the receivers who feed the illegal market for dielectric oil, which is resold as a substitute fuel for tractors and agricultural machinery at prices ranging from 600 to over 1,000 Cuban pesos per liter.
The phenomenon is not new in the province. In 2025, Ciego de Ávila recorded 41 similar thefts, with 84 transformers affected and more than 14,440 liters stolen, and provincial courts have imposed sentences of up to 12 years in prison for electrical "sabotage."
Nationally, the problem has reached iconic locations. On June 25, thieves stole the transformer oil from the National Sanctuary of the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre in Santiago de Cuba, which left the temple and its accommodation without electricity.
On May 9, a man died of electrocution while attempting to steal dielectric oil in the town of El Cobre.
The electrical context fueling this epidemic of thefts is devastating. This Saturday, Cuba registered a deficit of 2,165 MW during the night peak, with only 1,015 MW available against a demand of 3,150 MW, reported the General Director of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
The ruling 475/2025 from the People's Supreme Tribunal classifies these acts as sabotage, with penalties ranging from seven to 30 years in prison, life imprisonment, or the death penalty in the most serious cases.
Authorities warn that the effects of dielectric oil are harmful "even to the lives of the offenders," and that both the dissemination of these risks and the analysis of the underlying causes that drive the population to engage in such crimes must be prioritized.
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