Mario Vives Mesa, a specialized electrical lineman residing in the municipality of Palmira, passed away on Friday in Juraguá, Cienfuegos, while participating in the construction of the new output line for the Solar Park.
His colleague, Ridier Molina León, also a specialized lineman and resident of the same municipality, was hospitalized in intensive care following the same accident.
The Electric Company of Cienfuegos confirmed the tragedy through a statement on its social media: "Empresa Eléctrica Cienfuegos deeply regrets the passing of Mario Vives Mesa, a specialized electrical lineman, and the hospitalization of Ridier Molina León, a colleague in the same specialty, both residents of the Palmira municipality, following a workplace accident that occurred in Juraguá during the construction of the new output line of the Solar Park."
The entity added that "security and emergency protocols were immediately activated" and that it is collaborating with the authorities to determine the causes of the accident. The Ministry of Energy and Mines also expressed condolences for the death of Vives Mesa through its social media channels.
Death occurs exactly eight days after Edisvey Rolando Pérez Rodríguez, a 32-year-old lineman from the Electric Company of Sancti Spíritus, passed away after being electrocuted in Guanabacoa, Havana, while repairing a transformer in the El Roble neighborhood. Witnesses indicated that a possible cause was an illegal connection that may have restored power to the cable he was working on.
Both cases add to that of Osmani Rosales Núñez, a worker of the Electric Company of Cárdenas who died after receiving an electric shock in the area of Tenería, Matanzas, on June 13, 2026. There have been at least three linemen killed in workplace accidents so far this year.
These tragedies occur within the context of an unprecedented energy crisis. The Cuban electric system operates in September 2026 with a capacity of only between 1,000 and 1,287 megawatts against a demand of 3,300 megawatts, with deficits exceeding 2,000 megawatts and blackouts affecting up to 70% of the country simultaneously.
At the beginning of September, eleven of the sixteen thermoelectric units in the country were out of service due to breakdowns or maintenance. This is further exacerbated by the deterioration of protective equipment, poorly maintained vehicles, and the fuel shortage that characterize the working conditions in the sector.
The departure of qualified personnel worsens the situation: approximately 15,000 people left the electrical sector in 2021 and 2022 due to low salaries and deteriorating working conditions, according to union statements, which has overburdened the workers who remain.
In 2025, the National Office of Statistics and Information recorded five fatalities due to workplace accidents solely in the Electricity, Gas, and Water sector, within a national total of 38 deaths and 701 injuries, figures that indicate a systematic pattern of risk that the 2026 crisis has only deepened.
"We reaffirm our strong commitment to the safety, health, and well-being of all our workers," stated the Electric Company of Cienfuegos in its announcement, a declaration that contrasts with the chain of deaths that the sector has accumulated so far this year.
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