Families in the municipality of Pedro Betancourt, in the province of Matanzas, have gone without electricity for 26 days in the area between La Línea and La Campana, according to a complaint from the organization Alianza Democrática X La Libertad.
The cause, according to the residents themselves, is the theft of dielectric oil from the transformers.
Dielectric oil serves cooling and insulation functions in transformers; when it is drained, the equipment can overheat, suffer short circuits, and become permanently disabled, prolonging power outages for weeks or months.
"26 days without electricity is not just a simple breakdown. It is 26 days of neglect, of families affected, and of authorities who must respond," the complaint states, questioning the complete lack of response from provincial authorities.
The situation in Pedro Betancourt is not an isolated case within the province itself. In the town of Agramonte, also in Matanzas, the oil from the village's turbine transformer was stolen twice in less than two weeks from the same location, according to the same source.
"What is happening? Who is behind these robberies, and who is protecting such an important facility?" asks the organization, which also questions the police's actions: "If they can mobilize resources to oversee, pursue, and suppress those who protest or denounce what is happening, why is there not the same effectiveness in protecting public assets?"
Matanzas is the province most affected by this phenomenon on a national scale. According to data from Radio 26, the province accounts for 60% of the dielectric oil thefts in the country, with more than 90 transformers impacted.
Provincial authorities identified Pedro Betancourt as one of the municipalities with the highest incidence since May 2026, along with Jovellanos, Los Arabos, Calimete, Martí, Perico, Colón, and Jagüey Grande.
The stolen oil is resold on the black market as a substitute for diesel for tractors and agricultural machinery, at prices ranging from 500 to 2,500 Cuban pesos per liter, according to state sources, in a context of severe fuel shortages on the island.
On September 5th, the Cuban authorities admitted to over 460 criminal investigations opened for offenses against the National Electric System, more than 300 of which specifically relate to the theft of dielectric oil in 97 municipalities across the country.
The regime responded to the phenomenon with extreme penal harshness. Since the Opinion 475/2025 from the People's Supreme Court, the theft of dielectric oil is classified as sabotage, with sentences ranging from 7 to 30 years in prison and, in aggravated cases, life imprisonment or the death penalty. In August, a Cuban was sentenced to 12 years in prison for stealing 120 liters of the liquid.
Despite the arrests and convictions, theft continues. Some Cuban communities have gone without electricity for up to 105 days due to damage to transformers that the State is unable to replace, reflecting both the economic desperation of the population and the regime's inability to protect basic electrical infrastructure.
"This situation reflects the neglect experienced by Cubans. A government that demands, controls, and oversees every aspect of its citizens' lives, but when it comes time to ensure basic services and respond to a crisis, it is nowhere to be found," concludes the statement from Alianza Democrática X La Libertad.
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