The province of Matanzas reports 91 damaged transformers and more than 55,000 liters of dielectric oil stolen by thieves, a figure that critically worsens the already deteriorated provincial electrical grid, reported this Friday the broadcaster Radio 26.
Alejandro Rodríguez Azpeitia, director of the Provincial Electric Company of Matanzas, confirmed the information and clarified that monitoring of the affected equipment and the necessary actions for its recovery are ongoing.
Among the planned interventions are the repair of the transformers at the Spain and Admiración substations in the municipality of Perico, with work set to begin soon.
The Carbonera community is one of the most extreme cases, as it has been without electricity service for more than three months while the recovery of its transformer continues.
The 33-kilovolt substations in Cárdenas and Salé, both affected by criminal acts, remain unresolved.
Another pending issue is the transformer at the taxi base, whose failure has left 13 electric tricycles out of service, which would provide transportation to the public for a fare of 10 pesos, the source noted.
The theft of dielectric oil is the phenomenon underlying most of these damages. When the fluid is extracted, the transformer loses its capacity for insulation and cooling, suffers a short circuit, and becomes inoperable, extending power outages beyond planned interruptions.
Matanzas accounts for 60% of the dielectric oil thefts in the entire country, with over 70 reported cases in the province. The stolen oil is sold 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.
Residents in the area between La Línea and La Campana, in Pedro Betancourt, have been without electricity for 26 days following the theft of transformer oil. In Agramonte, the oil from the village’s turbine transformer was stolen twice in less than two weeks.
The government has responded with extreme penal tightening. Since the Ruling 475/2025 of the People's Supreme Court, the theft of dielectric oil is classified as sabotage, with penalties ranging from seven to 30 years in prison and, in aggravated cases, life imprisonment or the death penalty.
On Tuesday, state television reported that the First Criminal Chamber of the Provincial People's Court of Matanzas sentenced Ilde Yero Cruz to 10 years in prison for stealing 40 liters of oil from a transformer bank in Jovellanos. The Provincial Prosecutor's Office has at least 14 additional cases in preparation.
Cuban authorities reported that between 2025 and the first half of this year, more than 460 criminal investigations for offenses against the National Electric System (SEN) were initiated, including sabotage, damage, burglary, theft, and receipt of stolen goods.
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