A court in Matanzas sentenced Ilde Yero Cruz to 10 years in prison for stealing 40 liters of dielectric oil from a transformer bank in Jovellanos, an act that Cuban authorities are punishing with severe penalties due to its impact on the already deteriorated electrical system.
The ruling was issued by the First Criminal Chamber of the Provincial People’s Court of Matanzas and is the first in a series of legal proceedings planned in the province for similar incidents, as reported this Tuesday by the state channel Canal Caribe.
The oil was extracted from the transformers of a "Fregat" type irrigation machine belonging to the Augusto Olivares Agricultural Production Cooperative in Jovellanos.
The theft rendered the equipment unusable and, according to official reports, prevented the cooperative from planting 14 hectares of corn. The affected transformers have still not been replaced.
Punished as sabotage and not as a common theft
The incident was not judged as a common theft, but rather as sabotage against the National Electric System, a classification that authorities began to apply to these cases in May 2025, based on the .
Articles 125 and 126 of the Penal Code establish penalties for the crime of sabotage that can range from seven to 30 years in prison and, in certain aggravated cases, life imprisonment or the death penalty.
In Matanzas, more than 70 cases of dielectric oil theft have been recorded, affecting numerous communities. The Provincial Prosecutor's Office also has at least 14 additional cases being prepared for presentation to the courts.
The problem extends throughout Cuba. Between 2025 and the first half of 2026, more than 460 criminal investigations for offenses against the electrical system were opened. Over 300 of these were related to the theft of dielectric oil, a practice that was detected in all provinces and specifically in 97 municipalities.
The fluid is essential for insulating and cooling high-voltage transformers. Its loss can lead to serious malfunctions and even render equipment unusable, which is particularly difficult to replace amid the country's economic and energy crisis.
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, acknowledged in July that the amount of stolen oil was "almost similar" to the amount produced during the same period. Authorities have also admitted that some communities have gone without electricity for 105 days due to damaged transformers that have not been able to be replaced.
The sentences imposed for these actions are particularly severe. In August, a Cuban from Contramaestre received a 12-year prison sentence for stealing 120 liters of dielectric oil.
Judge Iliana Gómez Guerra, president of the Chamber of Crimes Against State Security of the People's Supreme Court, indicated that the sentences handed down in 2026 for this type of offense are predominantly between nine and 20 years in prison.
The severity of the penalties highlights the authorities' strategy of treating thefts against electrical infrastructure as crimes against state security, at a time when Cuba is experiencing a prolonged energy crisis and facing serious difficulties in repairing or replacing damaged equipment.
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