Two men were arrested after trespassing at night into the Las Villegas Solar Park, located in La Nenita, Guisa municipality, in the province of Granma, and stealing 20 metal beams from the support structure of the solar panels.
The fact was reported by the official profile of Facebook "Stay Informed with Aytana Alama," which described the act as sabotage and assured that the authorities recovered all the pieces.
Both detainees are facing charges for that offense.
According to the official publication, "in the evening hours, two individuals entered the 'Las Villegas' Photovoltaic Park and stole 20 metal beams belonging to the structure of the solar panels."
The recovered beams are critical components: without them, the panels are unanchored and exposed to falling or being destroyed by any wind.
The official text itself acknowledges: "For those unfamiliar with solar technology, 20 metal beams may seem like mere frames or pieces of iron. However, in a photovoltaic park, the beams are the backbone of the entire system."
The publication did not specify the exact date of the event or the arrest of those involved. It also did not indicate the names of the detainees or the specific procedural status of the case.
Such official statements tend to function more as a tool for public deterrence than as verifiable journalistic information.
A newly inaugurated facility
The "Las Villegas" Photovoltaic Park was synchronized to the National Electric System on April 10, 2026, just a few months before the robbery.
The installation provides 5 MW of generation and 1 MW of storage through batteries, features 9,048 photovoltaic panels, and includes two inverters of 2.5 MW each.
Be a part of the cooperation program with China to install 120 MW of solar capacity in Cuba, where Granma stands out as one of the leading provinces.
A wave of thefts that does not stop
The incident in Guisa is not an isolated case.
In the same province, in September 2025, the police arrested the individuals responsible for the theft of more than 50 beams and panels from the Juan Pérez II Photovoltaic Park in Niquero.
In May 2026, four individuals assaulted and tied up the guard of a pumping station in Holguín to steal 32 solar panels.
In June 2026, the theft of four panels in Holguín left four popular councils of the Turquino Plan without television signal.
The driving force behind this surge is the most severe electrical crisis Cuba has experienced in decades.
That scarcity drives up the value of metal materials and panels in the black market, turning every unprotected installation into a target.
Prison sentences that do not deter
In response to the escalation, the regime has opted for what are known as "exemplary trials."
The Ruling 475 of the People's Supreme Court, issued in May 2025, reclassified these thefts as sabotage -not as common theft- with penalties ranging from seven to 30 years in prison, life imprisonment, or the death penalty in severe cases.
The Supreme Court itself warned that "the penalty provided ranges from ten to thirty years of imprisonment, lifelong imprisonment, or death."
Between January 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, 100% of those convicted of sabotage to the electroenergetic system received sentences of over 10 years.
In July of this year, a court sentenced the person responsible for the sabotage of the Bungo 2 Electric Substation, in Contramaestre, Santiago de Cuba.
However, the thefts continue.
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