The Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), Roberto Morales Ojeda, acknowledged this Tuesday that there are reports of misconduct by officials and workers in the electrical system, and he admitted that these cases are damaging the image of a key sector amid the deep energy crisis the country is experiencing.
The statements were made during Miguel Díaz-Canel's visit to the Municipal Defense Councils of San Miguel del Padrón and Diez de Octubre in Havana, where authorities assessed the local response to issues related to electricity, water, and waste collection.
"There is a group of complaints related to inappropriate actions by officials and workers in all these areas, with great recognition for the efforts being made by the vast majority of them, but four or five tarnish the reputation of the teams who are truly doing their best," stated Morales Ojeda, according to the broadcast from Canal Caribe.
Although the leader insisted that these are isolated cases, his statements come after several incidents of alleged corruption that have fueled public discontent.
In fact, just a few days ago, residents of Calabazar, in the Boyeros municipality of Havana, reported having caught two linemen from the Electric Union (UNE) allegedly selling electricity illegally while the community endured prolonged blackouts.
The UNE itself confirmed the incident and referred to it as a “isolated act of corruption”.
However, there is evidence that raises doubts about whether this is an exceptional event. In June 2025, seven workers from the Electric Company of Havana and fourteen clients were convicted of fraud and bribery offenses related to the manipulation of electric consumption.
Recent complaints from residents of Mantilla also add to this, as they reported that workers from the electrical system offered to restore the service in exchange for 200 dollars.
In 2024, moreover, three linemen from UNE in Mariel were accused of embezzling over 21 million pesos through the theft and illegal sale of the company's resources.
House-to-house communication
During the tour, Díaz-Canel also emphasized the need to strengthen direct communication with the population in light of the frequent outages of ETECSA’s radio bases, which leave many Cubans without mobile phone service, internet, and access to social networks.
"We can't always trust the information we get from television, radio, or the press, not even from social media, because ETECSA's base stations go down, leaving us without cellular communication or data," he stated.
The ruler called for strengthening the so-called community communication "house to house" and "block by block" to explain to the population the decisions made by the authorities and their reasons.
Municipalities marked by discontent
Local authorities informed during the visit about the actions they are taking, together with different state agencies, to address the problems that most affect the population: blackouts, water shortages, and garbage accumulation.
Both San Miguel del Padrón and Diez de Octubre have been the scene of protests in recent months. In May 2026, residents of San Miguel gathered in front of the municipal government headquarters shouting “Power and food!”, while in Diez de Octubre, noise demonstrations were reported in neighborhoods such as Lawton, Luyanó, and Santo Suárez.
The visit is part of the tour that Díaz-Canel started on June 30 across the 15 municipalities of Havana. In just over three weeks, he has already traveled through eleven areas of the capital, amid the worst basic services crisis the city has faced in decades and as public discontent grows over prolonged blackouts and deteriorating living conditions.
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