The newspaper Victoria, the official organ of the Communist Party in Isla de la Juventud, questioned the incidents that occurred in Santa Fe involving workers from the Electric Company during the handling of a complaint, amidst the increasing tension caused by power outages.
In an article titled "Inadmissible," the newspaper revisited a note released on August 15 by the Electric Company of Isla de la Juventud, in which the entity reported that several customers behaved "incorrectly" towards linemen during the handling of a complaint in the town of Santa Fe, specifically in Panel II.
The media outlet deemed the insults and slurs against workers unacceptable and questioned why the linemen are being held responsible for the outages and prolonged power cuts that affect the population.
"How can the linemen be held accountable for the tense situation facing the local electricity system?" asked the newspaper, which also questioned how they could be blamed for the breakdowns and blackouts that disrupt rest, food preservation, and daily life of the residents.
The newspaper acknowledged that the situation is "complex, frustrating, and overwhelming," although it maintained that this circumstance should not lead to aggression against workers in the sector.
The Electric Company stated in its publication on August 15 that the linemen, workers, and technicians are part of the community and face the same hardships while continuing to work to maintain electrical service under adverse conditions. The entity called for patience, understanding, and respect towards its staff.
Among the limitations indicated by the state-owned company are the low availability of fuel for operation vehicles, the shortage of transformers, conductors, and service connections, as well as the increase in breakdowns associated with prolonged blackouts.
Victoria also reproduced the official explanation that the difficulties in the sector are related to the measures imposed by the Government of the United States since January 29, although the text itself also mentioned the "internal deficiencies" of the system.
The newspaper finally highlighted the conditions under which the employees of the Electric Company work and stated that they also return to homes affected by the blackouts, therefore they deserve respect in a situation that the very official media describes as particularly difficult.
The incident occurs in the context of a progressive energy collapse. On August 18, the Electric Company in the special municipality declared a nearly total blackout across the entire territory due to a fuel shortage and delays in the arrival of a supply ship, which required maintaining energy only for the hospital and water pumping.
In May, the General Director of the Electric Union, Rubén Campos Olmo, publicly acknowledged that the island was operating with only six hours of electricity per day. By July, residents were reporting periods of just two hours of daily service, with outages lasting up to 22 consecutive hours.
The tension between the population and electrical workers is not unique to this area. In July, residents of Calabazar, in Boyeros, detained two linemen accused of selling electricity illegally to private businesses while their neighborhood was left in darkness.
Days later, in Guanabacoa, three women stood guard until 3:30 in the morning to prevent workers from taking the transformer from their block without presenting an order.
Related videos:
Filed under: