More than 20,000 people remain without electricity in Levisa and several nearby settlements in the Holguín municipality of Mayarí, after the illegal extraction of dielectric oil caused a complete breakdown of a distribution transformer.
The impact affects 10,728 customers, according to reported this Monday on Facebook by the official journalist Emilio Rodríguez Pupo.
The theft occurred on Friday when specialists detected that a significant amount of oil had been extracted from the equipment installed at the substation supplying that area.
Officials from the Ministry of the Interior identified and apprehended the alleged perpetrators in less than 24 hours.
However, the fluid loss damaged the internal components of the transformer and caused a total failure.
A specialized brigade from Holguín went to the substation on Saturday to replenish the oil and conduct the required technical tests, explained Yosvani Almira Laurencio, director of the Mayarí Electric Base Business Unit.
The initial tests yielded favorable results, but the abnormal operating conditions caused further interruptions during the night on Saturday and Sunday.
After several assessments, the specialists concluded that the transformer was completely damaged.
«These equipment do not have immediate reserves in the warehouses; they are practically unique,» acknowledged Almira Laurencio, who pointed out that their replacement requires complex national procedures.
Holguín does not have another transformer to immediately replace the damaged equipment. The Provincial Electric Company and the Electric Union are trying to locate one available in another region of the country to transport it to Mayarí.
The operation will require cranes, specialized transport, fuel, and technical teams, which will increase the costs necessary to restore the service.
The interruption affects the communities of Levisa, Río Grande, La Italiana, El Purio, and Santa Rita, where thousands of families face difficulties in preserving food and carrying out daily activities that depend on electricity.
Mayarí experienced a similar situation in April, when more than 400 customers in the Guerrita community were left without electricity for 29 days due to the theft of dielectric oil at a substation.
The lack of spare parts forced the transfer of a 630 kVA transformer from Havana to restore the service, in an operation that highlighted the shortage of available equipment within the province.
The theft of this fluid has become the most common crime against the electrical system in Holguín, according to official data.
More than half of the 42 criminal incidents recorded in the province until the end of July were related to the theft of transformer oil.
However, the problem also extends to other provinces. Authorities reported this Tuesday on the detention of six members of an alleged gang dedicated to stealing dielectric oil from transformers in Güines and Melena del Sur, in Mayabeque.
The entity stated that the protection of substations located within or near communities also requires the cooperation of residents, as efforts continue to obtain the equipment needed to restore service.
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