AUTHORS – Translating Cuba

Darkness and Robberies Scare Away Visitors to Lennon Park in Havana

National Film Award winner Luciano Castillo had his cell phone stolen in broad daylight, and the Beatle statue no longer has a guard or even glasses.

John Lennon Park, in Havana’s Vedado district, is no longer the bustling place where young people used to gather and chat until late into the night. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, Darío Hernández, October 26, 2026 / John Lennon Park, in Havana’s El Vedado district, is no longer the bustling place where young people used to gather and chat until late into the night. On Sunday, shortly before 7:00 p.m., 14ymedio found only a handful of visitors, mainly older people trying to connect to the internet. Under the trees, the paths were beginning to grow dark.

Located on 17th Street, between 6th and 8th, in El Vedado, the park was for years a meeting place for young people and rock fans, as was also the case on nearby G Street (Avenida de los Presidentes). Now, the interminable power outages, which plunge the area into near-total darkness for hours and facilitate criminal activity, have turned it into a place many prefer to avoid.

The interminable power outages, which plunge Lennon Park into near-total darkness, have made it a place many prefer to avoid. / 14ymedio

Last week, film critic and researcher Luciano Castillo, winner of the 2026 National Film Award and director of the Cuban Film Archive, had his phone stolen in the park, according to 14ymedio. The act occurred during the day. Castillo filed a police report. According to sources close to the case, he was told at the police station that 15 other robberies had been reported in the area that same day. continue reading

Last week, Luciano Castillo, winner of the 2026 National Film Award and director of the Cuban Film Archive, had his phone stolen in Lennon Park.

An elderly woman told 14ymedio that about a month earlier, her cloth purse had been slashed while she was shopping at the farmers market next to the park in the morning, although none of her belongings were stolen. The theft was so subtle that she only discovered it when she got home.

During 14ymedio‘s tour of the park, the John Lennon statue was unguarded. However, at the entrance to the Yellow Submarine, staff were watching over the parked motorcycles, a common target for thieves.

Insecurity is spreading to other public spaces on the island, amid the economic crisis, power outages, and deteriorating street lighting. On October 20, 14ymedio documented how thefts of phones, watches, and purses have driven visitors away from Plaza de la Vigía in Matanzas. There, a student recounted having his cell phone snatched in broad daylight, near the Sauto Theater.

Insecurity is spreading to other public spaces on the island, amid the economic crisis, blackouts, and deteriorating street lighting.

In August, a couple from Guanabacoa told this newspaper that two hooded men stole their motorcycle at knifepoint as they were returning home during a power outage. Days later, soldiers were deployed to several locations in the municipality identified by residents as sites of robberies.

Thefts at Lennon Park have a long history, dating back to the statue’s unveiling in December 2000. His glasses were stolen at least twice, prompting authorities to hire security guards who took turns protecting them. One of them, Juan González, carried the glasses in his pocket and placed them on the musician for tourist photos.

Thefts in Lennon Park have a long history dating back to the statue’s unveiling in December 2000.

In March 2018, 14ymedio documented the theft of the glasses again. Now, with no guard in sight during the tour, even the sculpture itself is once again vulnerable to thieves.

On Sunday, the statue was still on its bench, but the crowds that once gathered around it were gone. The park still bears the name of the British musician and the memory of those youthful gatherings, although fewer and fewer people are willing to stay as evening falls.

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An NGO Reports That the US Will Deport Sick Migrants, Including Cubans, to Africa

Noslén Sendra, who suffers from diabetes and acute pancreatitis, was told that Mexico rejected him.

Image of a migrant detention center in the US. / EFE

14ymedio, Havana, October 22, 2026 / Noslén Sendra, a Cuban man with diabetes and acute pancreatitis, is one of the sick migrants who will be deported by the US to Africa. According to Arianne Betancourt, a migrant rights organizer with the Workers Circle, who spoke to the British newspaper The Guardian, deportation agents informed Sendra of his transfer, noting that Mexico had refused to accept him.

Figures published last July by Al Jazeera indicate that 6,000 Cubans were deported by the US and sent to southern Mexico. According to the report, these mass deportations to Mexico are part of “a permanent, unwritten agreement to accept Cuban citizens for deportation.”

Noslén Sendra, a 41-year-old Cuban man at the Krome Service Processing Center, was told that “Mexico wouldn’t accept him because he needs too much medication.” Nor is Cuba an option. However, he has to be deported, and he’s been told it will be to Africa. The migrant’s wife, Anisley Cortés, has been living in uncertainty since she found out, “not knowing how he is or if we’ll ever see him again.”

The woman told the same media outlet that Sendra, who has been imprisoned since last November and was held at the Alligator Alcatraz prison until last April, lost 22 kilos (48 pounds). “They weren’t giving him his medication or enough food. It was a nightmare for all of us,” she said. “He’s very sick and needs proper medical attention.” continue reading

Sendra, who has been imprisoned since last November and was held at the Alligator Alcatraz prison until last April, has lost 48 pounds

“We know that once deported and sent to these third countries, they do not receive medical attention in the detention centers. They have difficulty obtaining medication,” Betancourt warned.

Yasmany Moreno, who is in one of the six detention centers in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, has denounced the “inhuman” conditions in which the deportees are being held.

The poor conditions and food have taken their toll on Moreno and four other Cubans, who are experiencing “diarrhea, headaches, and fatigue,” symptoms of malaria. UN personnel provided them with a box of doxycycline for treatment.

Without specifying the number of people, Betancourt — the immigrant rights organizer for Workers Circle — indicated that those expelled are currently in two immigrant detention centers in Florida.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security denied to The Guardian that sick migrants are being sent to third countries. “No sick detainees are deported. All detainees receive medical clearance before travel and leave with the necessary medication,” the spokesperson stated.

The official said the story was false and that they were trying to discredit ICE agents, who, he claimed, “are facing an increase of more than 1600% in attacks against them.”

Between January 20, 2025, and August 31, 2026, at least 25,447 citizens have been deported from the United States to countries with which they have no ties. The Forbidden Stories consortium has presented an interactive map of these transfers, largely kept quiet by the U.S. government, revealing that some 35 countries have signed agreements for which the Trump administration has allocated a total budget of $410 million.

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Antonio José Ponte and Néstor Díaz de Villegas Explore Power and Repression in Cuba

Venue: Miami Dade College, Wolfson Campus, Building 8, fifth floor, room 8503. 300 NE Second Avenue, Miami, Florida 33132, United States.Start date: November 22, 2026, 4:30 pm. End date: November 22, 2026, 5:30 pm.

Antonio José Ponte y Néstor Díaz de Villegas presentan dos libros que exploran diferentes momentos de la historia política cubana.

14ymedio, Miami, October 26, 2026 / Cuban writers Antonio José Ponte and Néstor Díaz de Villegas are taking part in the event Cuba: territorios del poder [Cuba: Territories of Power], a conversation about history, literary creation and the mechanisms of political repression on the island, as part of the Miami Book Fair program.

Ponte presents Desfila La Habana [Havana on Parade], a novel that combines fiction and reality to reconstruct the political and social atmosphere of Cuba between 1958 and 1959, in the months that preceded and accompanied the triumph of the Revolution. The work delves into a period of profound transformation, marked by the fall of Fulgencio Batista’s dictatorship and Fidel Castro’s rise to power.

A poet, fiction writer and essayist, Antonio José Ponte is one of the most recognized voices in contemporary Cuban literature. His books include La fiesta vigilada, Un seguidor de Montaigne mira La Habana and Contrabando de sombras. His writing has repeatedly explored the relationship between history and memory, as well as the material and symbolic ruins of Cuban society. continue reading

For his part, Néstor Díaz de Villegas presents Cómo entrar a una cárcel [How to Enter a Prison], a testimony that addresses the relationship between artistic creation, dissent and repression in revolutionary Cuba. The work draws on the experience of a writer who learned from a very young age the consequences of standing up to political power.

Díaz de Villegas was imprisoned in Cuba in the 1970s for political reasons and later settled in the United States, where he has built an extensive career as a poet, essayist and fiction writer. His work is characterized by a critical, often irreverent, view of Cuban history and culture.

Although they belong to different generations and use different narrative techniques, both authors share a concern with examining the weight of political power on individual and collective life. Their books offer two approaches to Cuba’s recent history: one through the literary reconstruction of the founding moment of the revolutionary regime, the other through the personal experience of repression.

The conversation will be led by Alejandro Ríos, a journalist and film and art critic, who will discuss with the writers their works and the potential of literature to revisit the past and question official narratives.

The event will be held in Spanish and is part of the Ibero-American program of the Miami Book Fair.

Translated by GH.

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Inter American Press Association Demands the Release of Henry Constantín and the Legalization of Independent Media in Cuba

On Nicaragua, the organization denounces that there continues to be “structural censorship and systematic persecution of independent journalism”

La SIP pide “el pleno respeto” de las garantías judiciales de Henry Constantín. / Facebook/Henry Constantín Ferreiro

14ymedio, Havana, October 26, 2026 / The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) has once again included Cuba in the alerts it issued following its annual assembly, held this time in Bogotá (Colombia) this Sunday. In its report, the organization refers expressly to the case of Henry Constantín, director of La Hora de Cuba and regional vice president for the island of the IAPA’s own Commission on Freedom of the Press and Information, whose pretrial detention it considers to be “especially serious.”

As the organization recalls, Constantín “remains held in the Kilo 7 prison, accused of disobedience, after a court rejected a habeas corpus petition filed on his behalf.” It therefore demands his release “and full respect for his judicial guarantees and his right to a defense.”

In its recitals, the IAPA states that in Cuba “the use of police and judicial mechanisms against independent journalists, content creators and activists who report on matters of public interest has intensified, through arrests, summonses, surveillance, restrictions on movement and criminal proceedings,” and that “independent journalists continue to face restrictions on leaving the country, while the independent press lacks legal recognition and the State maintains control over the main media outlets, telecommunications and other activities essential to the production and dissemination of information.” continue reading

“The application of broad-reaching criminal offenses persists in cases linked to freedom of expression, as well as the lack of information on investigations”

According to the organization, Decree 160/2026 – which since last July has opened several activities to the private sector – actually reinforces control, “by limiting the possibility of formalizing independent media and keeping activities related to journalism, media publishing, news agencies and broadcasting under state control, in a context aggravated by blackouts and connectivity deficiencies.”

It also states that “the application of broad-reaching criminal offenses persists in cases linked to freedom of expression, as well as the lack of information on investigations or sanctions against those responsible for acts of harassment and repression.” In its statement, the IAPA cites the Declaration of Chapultepec, which establishes that “there are no free people or societies without freedom of expression and of the press” and that its exercise “is not a concession by the authorities; it is an inalienable right of the people.”

Thus, in addition to Constantín’s release, the organization urges the regime “to guarantee the recognition and functioning of independent media and to eliminate the rules and practices that restrict the exercise of press freedom.”

Likewise, it resolved “to condemn the harassment, surveillance, arrests and criminal proceedings against journalists, content creators and citizens for exercising their right to inform and to express themselves,” as well as “to demand an end to the arbitrary restrictions on movement and the bans on leaving the country imposed on journalists.”

“The decrease in physical attacks on the street does not reflect an improvement in guarantees, but rather the virtual disappearance of field journalism within the country”

At its 82nd General Assembly, the IAPA also referred to Nicaragua, attesting that the Government of spouses and co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo maintains “structural censorship and systematic persecution of independent journalism” in that country.

“The decrease in physical attacks on the street does not reflect an improvement in guarantees, but rather the virtual disappearance of field journalism within the country, where those who continue to report must do so clandestinely or under constant surveillance,” the IAPA warned in the report approved after the meeting in Bogotá.

The organization cites a study by the Foundation for Freedom of Expression and Democracy (Fled), which has documented that since 2018 more than 300 journalists and media workers have gone into exile, while in 2025 at least 58 communicators left the profession due to economic precariousness, unemployment, the closure of news outlets and the risk of repression.

As a consequence, Fled identifies 11 departments (provinces) – 65% of the national territory – as “zones of informational silence,” although the efforts of media outlets and journalists in exile continue to keep the population informed.

In Nicaragua, moreover, there are currently no printed newspapers in circulation, it warned.

The IAPA indicated that, with street journalism having all but disappeared, state pressure has shifted to the digital sphere and to administrative and legal mechanisms

The IAPA indicated that, with street journalism having all but disappeared, state pressure has shifted to the digital sphere and to administrative and legal mechanisms.

In this regard, it said that in April 2025 the Government, through the state-run National University of Engineering (UNI), eliminated the .com.ni domains of outlets such as La Prensa, Onda Local and 100% Noticias.

A month later, the state-run Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Postal Services (Telcor) ordered the closure of Radio Stereo Romance and confiscated its equipment, alleging technical non-compliance.

Between April and June of last year, Fled recorded 28 digital attacks, including smear campaigns, the disclosure of personal data and threats against journalists and their families, driven by networks of trolls and profiles sympathetic to the ruling party.

The IAPA also warned that the legal framework continues to be used as an instrument of intimidation and mentioned the reforms to the Special Law on Cybercrimes and to the Penal Code, which incorporated ambiguous concepts linked to “national security,” “sovereignty” and “stability of the State” that allow the dissemination of information deemed unauthorized to be restricted.

In addition, it noted that in 2026 a constitutional reform was also pushed through to raise to constitutional rank restrictions applicable to persons officially labeled as “coup plotters” or “traitors to the homeland,” labels that have been used against journalists.

Similarly, the inter-American organization stated that the right of access to public information remains practically inoperative for independent journalists.

Furthermore, Fled also documented attempts to recruit journalists as state informants. The National Police and other state agents are identified as those chiefly responsible for these practices, which include being followed, restrictions on mobility, confiscation of devices and interrogations, according to the report.

Translated by GH.
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Norbert Galland’s Last Set of Clothes Is for Sale

Inflation and the rising cost of living are forcing more and more elderly Cubans to work or part with their belongings.

He’s not updating his wardrobe or making room in the shop window; he’s selling what little he has just to be able to eat. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, Juan Diego Rodríguez, October 23, 2026 / Norbert Galland doesn’t have a shop, a counter, or even a rack to display his merchandise. The corner of Vía Blanca and Diez de Octubre in Havana is all he needs to try and earn a few pesos. His small business can be counted in two hands: a white shirt, a dark one, and a few other items he takes from his own wardrobe. He’s not renovating his wardrobe or making room in the whop window; he’s selling what little he has to be able to eat.

Wearing a worn cap, his face gouged with wrinkles, and a thinness that seems to have diminished even his shadow, Galland stands by the sidewalk and holds up the shirts for passersby to examine. In his hands he holds a white garment, neatly buttoned and still on its hanger; also two shirts, one dark and one light, as if offering an assortment capable of satisfying any customer’s taste.

Motorcycles, tricycles, and trucks pass by. The traffic in this Havana neighborhood continues its course, indifferent to the elderly man who has turned the sidewalk into an improvised commercial establishment. A few meters away, potholes, puddles, and trash complete a scene that perfectly encapsulates the Cuba in which this impromptu vendor lives. continue reading

His small business could fit in two hands: a white shirt, a dark one, and a few other items he takes from his own wardrobe. / 14ymedio

Galland receives neither a pension nor state assistance, as he told 14ymedio. His situation is especially hard in a country that for decades boasted of having guaranteed social protection to all its citizens, from cradle to grave. Now, for many elderly people, that promise seems to have fallen short, precisely when they most need someone to uphold the other part of the bargain.

The streets of the island have become increasingly crowded in recent years with elderly people selling anything they can to supplement their income. Some offer candy, nylon bags, or single cigarettes; others collect cans, scavenge for food in the trash, or try to earn a few bills using skills learned decades ago. Old age, which should bring some rest, has become for many a workday with no set hours and no vacation time.

Their situation is especially difficult in a country that for decades boasted of having guaranteed social protection to all its citizens, from cradle to grave.

Inflation has eroded the purchasing power of pensions, while the dollar continues its climb on the black market, driving up food prices. Family support isn’t always an option either: children and grandchildren have emigrated, and not all of them can send remittances. Relatives who remain on the island are often just as financially strapped as their parents and grandparents.

In this geography of survival, Galland parts with his belongings to solve the problem of daily food.

The white shirt looks clean, intact, almost elegant. It could be worn for a celebration, an important visit, or a special occasion. But in the old man’s hands, it’s just a small financial reserve that dwindles with each passing hour, and no one buys it.

In Cuba, even the last Sunday best can end up as Monday’s lunch.

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Ten Cuban Rafters Rescued 12 Miles Off Isla Mujeres

One of the migrants showed signs of severe dehydration, and some said they were from Isla de la Juventud and Pinar del Río.

The Cuban rafters asked not to be returned to the island. “We want asylum,” said one of the men. / Marina

14ymedio, Mexico City, Angel Salinas, October 25, 2026 / The National Migration Institute (INM) is holding 10 Cuban rafters who were rescued this Saturday 12 nautical miles south of Isla Mujeres. According to a source who requested anonymity, “some are from Isla de la Juventud and Pinar del Río.” This group joins the other 11 migrants who arrived in Cancún in the last month on two boats.

The migrants asked not to be returned to the island. “We want asylum,” said one of the men as he was transferred from the Fifth Naval Region and later to the Advanced Naval Station in Puerto Juárez.

The same source confirmed that the Cubans will receive assistance for the process this Monday, although it warned, “it will be handled and will depend on the internal processes of Migration.”

The group made up of men claimed to have been “adrift for four days” and it is thanks to a cruise ship that spotted them that they survived. The Fifth Naval Region received an alert about a wooden raft with several people in danger. continue reading

The group of men claimed to have been adrift for four days and that they were only able to survive thanks to a cruise ship that spotted them. / Marina

The Ministry of the Navy coordinated the rescue operation and sent a speedboat from the Search and Rescue Station to the location. At the site they found “one person suffering from severe dehydration and nine others who received medical assistance.”

Fisherman Javier Robles tells 14ymedio that these arrivals make “a wave of clandestine arrivals possible. A few days ago it was revealed that there were 28 abandoned boats, some used by Cubans in the Nichupté Lagoon, but there have been many more.”

Robles recalled that in 2024 a fishing boat with registration PR5348F5a was abandoned on Playa de Mascotas; it remained there, and traces of that vessel can still be found. That same year, in the area known as El Riíto, “some Cubans, upon seeing the beach nearby, jumped ashore and disappeared into the streets.”

To this are added other Cubans who arrive through coyotes. Graviel García, a Cuban originally from Havana, confirmed to this newspaper in 2022 the clandestine departures from Pinar del Río. “I never contacted the smuggler, but I do know they charged $7,000, a lot for that danger,” he said at the time.

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When a Marxist Regime Needs God to Save It

After persecuting believers for decades, the Cuban Government turns to the Vatican in search of a political miracle

Miguel Díaz-Canel and other leaders of the Communist Party during a mass in memory of Pope Francis, in Havana. / Facebook/Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba / Facebook/Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Cuba

14ymedio, Madrid, Yunior García Aguilera, October 25, 2026 / After 67 years of die-hard Marxism, the Cuban Revolution seems determined to ask the Pope for a miracle. It is not about turning water into wine, although getting running water in Havana would already be a marvel. Nor about multiplying the loaves, which would come in quite handy. The miracle Cuba’s leaders need is far more complicated: getting their political system to survive. And since Marx isn’t answering, Lenin has been embalmed for too long and Che was never a specialist in resurrections, they have decided to try their luck with the Vatican.

The Cuban ambassador to the Holy See, Leyde Rodríguez Hernández, has just repeated the official invitation to Leo XIV to visit the island. They have been inviting him, without much luck, ever since the white smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. But, for now, the Pope does not seem in any hurry to pack his bags for Havana.

The insistence comes in the midst of the worst economic crisis and growing tensions with Washington. The Communist Party, which for decades preached dialectical and historical materialism, seems to have discovered the practical advantages of divine intercession. Of course, it is not asking forgiveness for its sins. It is desperately asking for a favor. continue reading

In 1992 the State stopped declaring itself atheist. The move coincided, not at all by chance, with the collapse of the communist altars in Europe

It is worth recalling a few details of this sudden religious vocation. In the early years of the Revolution, the Government confiscated Catholic schools, expelled priests and turned faith into an obstacle to getting ahead professionally. Believers were discriminated against in universities, workplaces and political organizations. Some even ended up in the sadly notorious Military Units to Aid Production (UMAP), those forced labor camps where the aim was to correct, by dint of the machete, the ideological, sexual and spiritual deviations of Cubans.

Over time, official atheism softened. In 1991, the Party finally admitted believers, and in 1992 the State stopped declaring itself atheist. The move coincided, not at all by chance, with the collapse of the communist altars in Europe. There was no need to prove the existence of God by means of a scientific treatise. It was enough to realize that religion could be very useful in international relations.

In 1998 John Paul II arrived; then came Benedict XVI and Francis. Cuba’s leaders learned to take off their combat fatigues and receive pontiffs with smiles, ties, ceremonies and speeches about peace. They suddenly discovered the diplomatic advantages of appearing alongside the successor of Saint Peter.

The Government wants the Pope to talk about the embargo, but does not seem to show the same devotion when the bishops mention pluralism and freedoms

Vatican diplomacy has already intervened in prisoner releases and in negotiations with the United States. But the most recent episode deserves special attention. In March, Havana announced the release of 51 prisoners as a goodwill gesture toward the Holy See. According to later investigations by Prisoners Defenders, the beneficiaries included common criminals and only a tiny fraction were political prisoners. It was a veritable “Operation Barabbas.” Moreover, several of those released kept their sentences and restrictions.

It would be unfair, however, to confuse the intentions of the Vatican with those of the Palace of the Revolution. The Church has legitimate reasons to be concerned about the suffering of Cubans, to call for an end to the measures that worsen their hardships and to promote peaceful solutions. Leo XIV himself joined, in February, the appeal of the island’s bishops, who warned of the urgent need for profound changes. Curiously, that last part of the message tends to arouse considerably less enthusiasm in official offices. The Government wants the Pope to talk about the embargo, but does not seem to show the same devotion when the bishops mention pluralism and freedoms.

The Hermanos Saíz Association awards its Master of Youth prize to Frei Betto, a Brazilian friar whose loyalty to the Revolution has survived even its economic failures and its orders of combat

The question is what exactly Havana expects from a new papal visit. Mediation with Trump or with Marco Rubio, as Catholic as he is anti-Castro? An easing of sanctions? A photograph that would let the Government present itself to the world as a respectable interlocutor? Any of those possibilities is understandable in terms of political calculation. The trouble with inviting the Pope is that he might come with the inconvenient habit of also listening to his bishops.

And while the Foreign Ministry invites Leo XIV, the Hermanos Saíz Association awards its Master of Youth prize to Frei Betto, a Brazilian friar whose loyalty to the Revolution has survived even its economic failures and its orders of combat. We don’t know whether Cuban communism has finally found God, but it seems to have discovered that some foreign clerics turn out to be more deserving of tributes than troublesome local artists. For purely utilitarian reasons, mind you.

In the Catholic tradition, absolution requires repentance and a firm purpose of amendment. The Revolution seems very interested in absolution (and not only the historical kind, as the bearded one dreamed [a reference to Fidel Castro’s “History will absolve me”], but also the divine kind). It wants its debts forgiven, its sanctions lifted and another chance granted, but without renouncing any of the commandments of its own peculiar political catechism: a single party, blind obedience and prison for heretics.

Translated by GH

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Cuba Will Keep Daylight Saving Time All Year to Save Energy

Authorities will push back the start of school and work by 30 minutes between November 1, 2026 and March 14, 2027

Imagen de archivo de los trabajos de mantenimiento del reloj de Quinta Avenida, en Miramar, La Habana. / Cubadebate

14ymedio, Havana, October 25, 2026 / Cubans will not have to set their clocks back an hour on November 1. The Government announced this Saturday that it will keep daylight saving time until November 7, 2027, with the aim of reducing electricity consumption during peak demand hours and easing the prolonged blackouts the country is suffering. The decision will also mean pushing back the start of school and work by half an hour over the coming months.

The measure was announced jointly by the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, which estimate that keeping clocks forward will avoid a 126-megawatt (MW) increase in power outages during the evening hours, when one of the consumption peaks occurs.

According to the authorities, 76 MW correspond to the savings from making longer use of natural light, without the need to resort to artificial lighting, while the other 50 MW are attributed to the solar photovoltaic generation available at that time of day.

The statement, however, does not explain how those calculations were made or how much electricity consumption could rise during the early morning hours, when artificial lighting will have to be used for longer. continue reading

To offset the difficulties this change will cause at the start of the day, the authorities have ordered the start of school and work to be pushed back by 30 minutes

With the decision, Cuba will remain on UTC−4 throughout the winter, instead of returning to UTC−5, as usually happens when daylight saving time ends. This means that sunrise and sunset will occur an hour later by the clock, although the actual length of the day will remain exactly the same.

To offset the difficulties this change will cause at the start of the day, the authorities have ordered the start of school and work to be pushed back by 30 minutes between November 1, 2026 and March 14, 2027, the period during which standard winter time would normally have been in effect.

The adjustment will not, however, prevent many students and workers from having to set out before sunrise. In Havana, for example, during the weeks around the December solstice, sunrise will come shortly after eight in the morning under the current time, which will force many families to carry out much of their morning routine still in the dark.

The ministries specified that the heads of workplaces must agree on the new schedules with the trade union organizations, in accordance with article 223.2 of Law 189, the Labor Code, of July 30, 2026. The change, they stated, may not result in any reduction in employees’ wages.

To justify the decision, the Government once again blamed Washington for the energy crisis. According to the official note, the tightening of the US embargo and what it calls an “energy siege” have caused a shortage of the fuel needed for electricity generation.

The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the country’s largest generating unit, dropped off the SEN again this Saturday at 8:11 p.m., due to vibrations in the turbine

The fuel shortage, however, comes on top of the deterioration of the thermoelectric plants, the frequent breakdowns and the insufficient generating capacity that have plagued the national electricity system (SEN) for years. The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the country’s largest generating unit, dropped off the SEN again this Saturday at 8:11 p.m., due to vibrations in the turbine. The Matanzas plant had been running for barely three days, having come back online on Wednesday after several breakdowns and failed synchronization attempts.

Nor has the addition of solar photovoltaic parks managed to eliminate the large deficits recorded every day, especially when solar radiation drops.

Keeping daylight saving time is intended to make better use of the overlap between natural light, photovoltaic output and peak consumption hours. However, moving the clocks forward does not in itself increase the amount of electricity generated by solar panels, whose output depends on the radiation they receive.

Nor have the authorities specified what proportion of the electricity deficit projected for the coming months the announced 126 MW represents, or whether they have calculated the effect of shifting part of the consumption to the mornings.

The decision comes in the midst of an electricity crisis that keeps numerous towns on the island subjected to daily blackouts of more than 20 hours, while the Government looks for ways to reduce demand without having sufficient generating capacity.

Translated by GH.

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A Enormous Sinkhole Becomes a Waterfall and a Trap for Pedestrians in Havana’s Cerro District

Water rushes into a deep cavity at Amenidad and Cruz del Padre, carrying with it the garbage accumulated in the street.

A woman lifts her shopping cart to cross the flooded area, while other pedestrians look for places to put their feet. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, October 24, 2026 / A massive sinkhole at the intersection of Amenidad and Cruz del Padre, in Havana’s Cerro municipality, has become a dangerous trap for pedestrians and vehicles. The pavement has a large opening through which rainwater pours down like a waterfall. Around the hole, sewer grates are displaced, the asphalt is broken up, and trash accumulates among the debris.

Barely meters away, several pedestrians try to cross the street, which has become a series of puddles and potholes. A woman lifts her shopping cart to cross the flooded area, while other passersby look for somewhere to put their feet without ending up in the water.

The danger is not hypothetical. In February 2025, Jonathan Oliva, a 12-year-old boy, died after being pulled into a sewer during floods that affected Havana. The boy was returning from school when he was swept away by the water in the Villanueva and Vía Blanca area of Luyanó, near the Miguel Enríquez Hospital. His body was found the next day.

Jonathan Oliva was 12 years old and was returning from school when he was sucked into a sewer. / Facebook

The tragedy shocked the capital and once again highlighted the deteriorating state of the sewage system. During a tour of the flooded areas, this newspaper observed numerous accumulations of garbage clogging the drains, while the water reached over a meter in some places.

Just a few steps away, everyday life tries to go on. / 14ymedio

Another fatal incident occurred in September 2022, when a girl was swept away by the current while trying to cross a flooded street with her cousin in the municipality of Cotorro. A man managed to rescue one of the girls, but was unable to save the other. Some witnesses claimed at the time that both had been swept into a storm drain. continue reading

Vehicles have also become trapped in Havana’s enormous potholes. In June 2024, a motorcycle and a car fell into a deep, water-filled crater at the intersection of Infanta and Ayestarán streets, also in the Cerro neighborhood. Neighbors helped recover the motorcycle, and no injuries were reported.

In April of that same year, another enormous pothole in the same municipality had become an impromptu swimming pool where several children were bathing. According to residents, it had been open for about five years without the authorities addressing the problem. The hole was so large that it prevented larger vehicles from passing.

The problem resurfaced with particular severity in July of this year, when rains and clogged drains created a river of sewage in Cuatro Caminos, in Central Havana. A neighbor expressed her fear at the time that another child would be swept away by the current, as had happened to Jonathan Oliva.

In Amenidad and Cruz del Padre, meanwhile, water drips into the sinkhole, amidst debris, displaced grates, and broken pavement edges. Just a few steps away, daily life tries to go on, as if resigned to the fact that this and other disasters are an unavoidable part of normality.

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The U.S. Acknowledges That the Cuban Regime Diverts Fuel Intended for the Private Sector

A State Department spokesperson maintains that the Havana government “must now resort to subterfuge and illegality” to obtain fuel.

The U.S. State Department celebrates that Washington’s policy toward the Island “has broken the Cuban regime’s monopoly on fuel.” / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Madrid, October 24, 2026 — The U.S. government acknowledges that some of the fuel it exports to Cuba’s private sector may end up in the hands of the regime. This is stated by a State Department spokesperson in a statement sent to journalist David Adams, to which 14ymedio obtained access.

“We cannot rule out some diversion to figures or entities linked to the regime, but we will continue cracking down on its efforts to evade sanctions, targeting any company that knowingly supplies the regime,” the spokesperson states, adding that “the regime must now resort to subterfuge and illegality just to obtain a small portion of the fuel entering the country, instead of controlling the entire market.”

The statement celebrates that Washington’s policy toward the Island “has already brought about the greatest privatization in the history of the Cuban economy,” and recalls that after Venezuela cut off its free oil supplies to the regime, some of which was resold abroad for foreign currency, the spokesperson notes, the Trump administration maintained fuel exports to Cuban private business owners. These, the spokesperson says, “now import and sell to other private businesses, humanitarian NGOs, and diplomatic establishments,” meaning that “the regime’s monopoly on fuel has been broken.” continue reading

“The Trump administration continues to target key sources of revenue for the illegitimate Cuban regime by imposing sanctions. We are also combating the regime’s evasion of sanctions,” the State Department emphasizes.

The regime must now resort to subterfuge and illegality just to obtain a small portion of the fuel entering the country, instead of controlling the entire market.

This statement was issued in the context of Washington’s offensive against fuel shipments intended for the state sector. On October 7, agencies of the Department of Homeland Security announced the seizure of 90 shipments of biodiesel, 71 at Port Everglades, Florida, and 19 in Houston, Texas. Their value was around $2.8 million, and their destination was the state-owned company Enetec, which was added to the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list on July 13.

Washington’s acknowledgment confirms what this newspaper has been documenting since April, when the authorities began leasing state-owned gas stations to MSMEs* like Acapulco, in Nuevo Vedado, to dispense fuel purchased in the United States. It had been possible to establish since then that the Ticket platform, managed by Cimex, a corporation belonging to the Gaesa military conglomerate and sanctioned by OFAC, was already selling gasoline and diesel in dollars in Havana when only private businesses were permitted to import them from the United States.

A month later, this newspaper confirmed that Transmed vehicles and those of other state-owned companies were refueling at the former Shell station in Guanabacoa, using pumps leased by private operators, which U.S. regulations expressly prohibit.

In September, 14ymedio revealed this connection in a more disturbing way: the El Eficiente gas station, one block from Villa Marista, was supplying vehicles belonging to the state-owned Sepsa, trucks operated by the so-called Black Berets—special brigades of the Ministry of the Interior—and Suzuki motorcycles belonging to State Security. More than five months had passed since the last oil tanker carrying hydrocarbons had arrived in Cuba—the Anatoly Kolodkin, from Russia—and since the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, had publicly declared: “We have absolutely no fuel oil; we have absolutely no diesel.”

Among the documents demonstrating this connection is an invoice dated September 21 from Cimex-Mariel to an Oro Negro service station for more than 23,000 liters of gasoline

Just a few weeks ago, an incident once again exposed this connection: a fire in a fuel tank at Azutecnia, a subsidiary of the state-owned Azcuba company, in Granma province. The official information does not specify what type of fuel burned or where it came from, but Cuba lacks the capacity to produce refined fuel from its domestic crude oil.

As of today, the Ticket platform, which continues to sell fuel at state-owned service stations, remains the most visible indication. Not only are gasoline and diesel sales still taking place in the provinces, but prices have also fallen over the past several months.

An investigation by ADN Cuba and Martí Noticias, published this Friday, has confirmed that Cimex purchases fuel from 21 suppliers, at least 16 of them MSMEs*, and resells it through its network of service stations, in addition to supplying the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces. Among the documents demonstrating this connection is an invoice dated September 21 from Cimex-Mariel to an Oro Negro service station for more than 23,000 liters of gasoline. Cimex does not appear as a direct importer, but rather as a purchaser of fuel supplied by Cuban MSMEs.

From January through August of this year, the total value of petroleum products exported from the United States to the Island reached $231.74 million, an unprecedented figure in the entire history of trade relations between the two countries.

These specific figures did not prevent De la O Levy from stating in a recent interview with Reuters about those imports: “I would venture to say that the quantity entering the country does not even cover 3% of its fuel needs.”

“No Cuban state-owned company has managed to secure a fuel contract, whether for small or large quantities,” the minister said at the time.

*Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Prison Sentences of 4 and 5 Years for Several Starlink Antenna Sellers in Santa Clara, Cuba

A pro-government account claims that 37 devices were confiscated and threatens to apply the law to buyers, transporters, and distributors.

““Legalize other companies that compete with Etecsa’s terrible service, and you’ll see that no one will risk losing so much money,” a user claims./ 14ymedio

14ymedio, Havana, October 24, 2026 – Several citizens of Santa Clara were sentenced to between four and five years in prison for selling Starlink antennas, according to a post circulated by the pro-government account Alejandro Noticias Cuba in the Facebook group Mipymes Santa Clara/ Motorcycle Parts. The message claims that 37 satellite internet connection devices were confiscated and threatens to extend the sanctions to everyone involved in this clandestine market, including transporters and buyers.

According to the post, the detainees were part of a network dedicated to illegally bringing in and selling these antennas. During searches conducted at the homes of those involved and the buyers, the authorities seized all 37 devices. The text states that the transporters were also sanctioned, while those who received the equipment were fined 100,000 pesos and had their antennas confiscated.

However, the account does not identify the convicted individuals, specify which court issued the sentences, or present judicial documents that would make it possible to verify the events. The information attributes the convictions to alleged “sources close to the defendants’ families.”

The account demands that citizens report anyone attempting to bring in, transport, sell, or buy Starlink antennas

The message goes beyond reporting a police operation. “Let no one be under any illusions; this is not an isolated confiscation or a theoretical warning,” it states, before asserting that the sentences are final. It then demands that citizens report anyone attempting to bring in, transport, sell, or buy Starlink antennas. “Don’t become the next case,” it concludes.

The warning is circulating at a time of growing tension between Havana and Washington. This Friday, U.S. President Trump said during a rally in Florida that the military ships deployed in the war against Iran would pass along the Cuban coast on their return. He even spoke of stopping one of them about 45 meters from the Island and then sending Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “close the deal.”

Rubio, for his part, encouraged those seeking political change in Cuba to cooperate discreetly with the CIA. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez rejected Trump’s statements and warned that the Cuban coast would be an “inhospitable” territory for anyone arriving with hostile intentions.

In this climate of confrontation, the pro-government camp has repeatedly sought to associate independent satellite communications with possible operations against the Government. The Santa Clara post explicitly mentions the armed incident in Corralillo, Villa Clara, which occurred last February, when the authorities intercepted a vessel coming from the United States, killing half of its crew. According to the official account, a Starlink terminal was among the equipment seized.

The Starlink devices sold to private individuals in Cuba and other countries are not the specialized Starshield systems that SpaceX develops for defense applications

The message uses that precedent to justify the crackdown on commercial antennas. However, it omits a fundamental distinction: the Starlink devices sold to private individuals in Cuba and other countries are not the specialized Starshield systems that SpaceX develops for defense applications and that Ukraine uses in certain drone operations. Although they share technological infrastructure, Starshield is designed for government and military missions, while Starlink is simply a commercial satellite internet service.

The Cuban authorities’ offensive against Starlink did not begin now. In April 2025, the Cuban Government confiscated 20 satellite kits and 85 routers through Customs, after official agencies warned of fines and confiscations. In May 2026, the Ministry of Communications updated import regulations and maintained restrictions on satellite terminals operating without agreements with the Government.

Article 295 of the Penal Code establishes prison sentences of three to eight years for those who organize, distribute, finance, or profit from unauthorized telecommunications services, as well as for those who sell equipment intended for such activities.

“If Etecsa doesn’t work, then you get a Starlink and that’s that”

Despite the prohibitions, the clandestine market continues. In April, this newspaper documented the presence of these antennas in Havana, Matanzas, and Santa Clara, with prices ranging from $1,300 to $1,800. Some owners also redistribute the connection to neighbors through small private networks. Another report published in July collected accounts from users who paid between $50 and $80 per month to access these connections.

The publication of Alejandro Noticias Cuba has prompted numerous expressions of disapproval. “The real crime is being outside the State’s control,” comments Josué Castillo. Other users believe the authorities should improve Etecsa’s service instead of pursuing alternatives.

“Legalize other companies that compete with Etecsa’s terrible service, and you’ll see that no one will risk losing so much money,” demands Edel Gálvez.

An anonymous participant sums up the frustration with a comparison: “If Cupet can’t sell you gasoline, you find another option; if UNE doesn’t provide you with electricity, you look for renewable energy, and if Etecsa doesn’t work, then you get a Starlink and that’s that.”

Translated by Regina Anavy

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Rubio Asks Cubans to Cooperate With the CIA; Regime Invites the Pope in Response

The intelligence agency publishes a guide to help contact it anonymously from Cuba, and Bruno Rodríguez issues threats against the U.S.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in an archival photograph. / EFE/Ricardo Maldonado Rozo

EFE/14ymedio, Washington/Havana, October 24, 2026 — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged on Friday those who want to bring about a change of government in Cuba to embark on “discreet collaboration with the CIA.”

Rubio published the message on X: “For those seeking to bring about positive change in Cuba, this is the moment. Faced with disappointment over unfulfilled promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of a few, seize this opportunity to create the change you want through discreet collaboration with the CIA.”

This Saturday, the CIA published a seven-step guide on its official Instagram account, aimed at Cubans who want to contact the agency safely and anonymously. The text accompanying the post is explicit: “The CIA wants to know the truth about Cuba, and we are looking for trustworthy people who know the truth and can communicate it to us. Your information may be more valuable than you think.” continue reading

The guide directs users to the intelligence agency’s official website and recommends that those who want to make contact use a new device and email address unconnected to their identity, as well as a VPN with a server outside Cuba and other countries that Washington considers hostile.

Rubio’s message came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump declared, during a rally in Florida, that once the war against Iran was over, the U.S. Navy would navigate to the Island. According to Trump, following its arrival, representatives of the Cuban Government would “raise their hands,” and he would send “Marco Rubio there to close the deal.” The president maintained that Washington would “simply put” Rubio in Cuba and that “he’ll get it done.”

“The CIA wants to know the truth about Cuba, and we are looking for trustworthy people who know the truth and can communicate it to us”

Trump’s statements come amid the election campaign in Florida, Rubio’s home state and the location of the largest Cuban American community in the country.

For his part, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel reacted on Friday by accusing the U.S. of harboring “ambitions of domination” over the Island. He also reiterated the official government narrative that “it is good to remember that we Cubans achieved our true independence on January 1, 1959, and we are determined to defend it.”

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez also lashed out on social media against what he called “any threat involving U.S. ambitions” toward the Island. In a belligerent tone, the foreign minister stated that Cuba’s shores have “beautiful beaches,” but warned that they also have “dog’s teeth”: inhospitable terrain for those who arrive with hostile intentions and a desire for domination.

On Thursday, the Cuban Government had already taken advantage of a meeting with journalists at the Holy See to invite Pope Leo XIV to visit the Island and once again demand the lifting of the U.S. embargo. Cuba’s ambassador to the Vatican, Leyde Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández, conveyed the invitation to the pontiff during a meeting with journalists. The diplomat repeated the official message: “Cuba is not a threat; the blockade is.”

His statements come just days before the United Nations General Assembly debates, on October 27 and 28, the resolution that calls every year for an end to the embargo against Cuba. The Vatican has not commented on the invitation, so there has been no public acceptance by the pontiff and no date has been set for a possible visit.

This exchange of messages is taking place amid a climate of confrontation that has intensified since January, when the U.S. imposed an oil blockade on the Island. Since then, Washington has progressively added “maximum pressure” measures targeting vital sectors of the economy and companies doing business with the Cuban regime, seeking political change in Cuba.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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The Sea Opens Up to Cubans With the Opening of Havana’s First Nautical Store

Delcos Marine, linked to a Spanish company, offers products for maritime activities, a sector closely monitored by the regime.

The new Delcos Marine nautical store, next to the Almendares River in Havana. / 14ymedio

14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, October 22, 2026 – Alongside the Iron Bridge over the Almendares River, at the boundary separating Havana’s El Vedado and Miramar neighborhoods, several men have been working for weeks to renovate an industrial warehouse. This is the location Delcos Marine has chosen to open its first nautical store in Cuba, a country surrounded by water where all maritime activities are considered matters of national security.

What was once an abandoned, shabby warehouse is now a freshly painted light-blue building, equipped with several solar panels and decorated with eye-catching advertising signs: a smiling woman splashing in the sea, a man on a paddleboard, a hand holding an immaculate fishing rod, two divers in full gear, and the railing of a boat, all set against crystal-clear waters.

The opening of a private business on the Island is not news, but Delcos Marine’s specialty is an event in itself: it offers “everything for sailing, fishing, diving, or simply enjoying a great day at the beach” in a country where sailing, fishing, and diving are subject to strict controls. On its website, which still lists neither prices nor sales, Delcos Marine features several sections offering every type of sea-related product, from water sports equipment to marine hardware and recreational items. Rods, hooks, fishing line, snorkeling equipment, swimsuits, wetsuits, masks, fins, and outboard motor spare parts are among the items on the list, at least on paper. continue reading

Delcos Marine offers “everything for sailing, fishing, diving, or simply enjoying a great day at the beach.” / 14ymedio

“Your next catch starts here” is the slogan the store uses on its social media accounts to announce its upcoming opening, which, nevertheless, has yet to take place. The store’s Facebook account has been active for almost three years, and the first post introducing it as a “nautical marketplace” is dated April 15, 2024.

“A Provisional Transitional Government,” Demand 146 Former Cuban Political Prisoners

The signatories of the document call, as a priority, for the “total release of all political prisoners and the decriminalization of dissent”

El documento fue presentado este jueves en el Museo de la Brigada 2506, en Miami. / Captura/ Telemundo

14ymedio, Madrid, October 23, 2026 / Former political prisoner Ángel de Fana, leader of the group Plantados hasta la Libertad y la Democracia en Cuba [Holdouts until Freedom and Democracy in Cuba], presented in Miami this Thursday a letter sent to the State Department and backed by more than 140 former Cuban prisoners of conscience, in which he asks the US Government to make dialogue conditional on the release of all those who remain in the island’s prisons for ideological reasons.

“We don’t want there to be negotiations with those who are to blame for the dramatic situation of the Cuban people, with the murderers of our people; with them there is no trust, nor is it honorable to negotiate,” De Fana told CubaNet after the press conference at which the document was presented. The event took place this Thursday at the Brigade 2506 Museum in Miami and was attended by several of the signatories.

“There are other Cubans, including military officers and officials, who don’t have blood on their hands, with whom we are willing to negotiate the democratic future of our country,” he added. continue reading

“There are other Cubans, including military officers and officials, who don’t have blood on their hands, with whom we are willing to negotiate the democratic future of our country”

It is a statement in line with what was expressed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the end of September, when he told the media at UN headquarters in New York: “there are some individuals in that regime with whom we can never work because they have blood on their hands. But there are people there with whom I believe we could work if they are willing to steer the country toward political and economic freedom and toward the process that will lead us to that final goal.”

De Fana confirmed this Thursday that the letter, dated October 10, had been sent to the State Department, but they have not received a response. The former political prisoner stated that in order to talk with anyone linked to the regime, “the first condition is the total release of all Cuban political prisoners and the decriminalization of dissent.”

“The situation in Cuba and the uncertainty about possible negotiations with the United States made it urgent to publish the document,” said De Fana, who defended as the declaration’s objective reflecting the stance of those who have paid with prison for their fight against the regime, as well as giving a voice to those who lost their lives “in combat for freedom.”

The signatories argue that they are not seeking “revenge, but justice for the demands of the people,” and that the release of prisoners and the decriminalization of dissent are “non-negotiable” conditions prior to dialogue. Without them, no rapprochement can take place, they believe. “During our ordeal in prison we refused to be used as bargaining chips so that the regime could obtain international concessions,” they contend. Therefore, they stress, “any negotiation can only take place after the political prisoners are released. It is not permissible to monetize their ordeal.” Only after this “could progress be made toward a transition leading to the establishment of a new Republic.”

“It is one thing to provisionally welcome a technocratic and mixed transitional government, made up of military officers and officials of the previous regime with an acceptable track record together with other Cubans from the island and the diaspora. It is quite another to agree to the continuity of the current political system under the hegemony of the power elite,” it adds.

Another of the document’s key points is the identification of two distinct kinds of problem: the one that exists between the governments of the US and Cuba, and the one between the regime and the population.

Washington should “directly” support the Cubans’ struggle against the current political system if the population’s safety were put at risk through repression. This backing should include “all the means at its disposal” and, eventually, the support of any other nation so that the citizenry may recover national sovereignty.

On the other hand, the declaration adds that if the Cuban leadership agreed to leave power in order to avoid personal risks, there should be channels allowing the participation of Cubans in the negotiations.

On the other hand, the declaration adds that if the Cuban leadership agreed to leave power in order to avoid personal risks, there should be channels allowing the participation of Cubans in the negotiations.

Some of those attending made statements to the media present at the gathering. Among them was former political prisoner José Rolando Cáceres Soto, imprisoned on several occasions until his last release, in 2021, who praised the historic exile community. “For us they represent experience; they are the ones who have shown us the steps to follow, necessary steps that we young people have to take. We see how the youth inside Cuba are already taking part in the future of our country. We are fighting against a dictatorship that (…) has mutated. But that mutation doesn’t mean we shouldn’t draw on the experience and the lived experience of these people,” he told Cubanet.

For his part, academic Eduardo Zayas-Bazán noted that “to forge a new Cuba we need honest people who want a future for Cuba, a democratic Cuba, and who have no blood on their hands.”

The document has been signed by 146 people to date, among them Yamilka Abascal, Sissi Abascal, Eduardo Cardet, Pedro Corzo, Guillermo Fariñas, Angélica Garrido and Luis Zúñiga.

Translated by GH.

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Thefts at Cuba’s Photovoltaic Parks: 24 Guards Arrested for Complicity

Those responsible for protecting the 46 installations of 21.8 MW and other smaller ones receive monthly salaries of about six dollars

the theft of a solar panel affects the complete circuit. / X @MMarreroCruz

14ymedio, Madrid, October 23, 2026 / The guards, called upon to protect solar energy, are, precisely, among the main collaborators enabling thefts that often render the entire infrastructure of a solar park useless. That was the main conclusion drawn this Thursday on the television program Hacemos Cuba, which airs on Canal Caribe and which addressed the prevention of and fight against crimes targeting renewable sources.

At present, at least 24 guards are under arrest for acts such as these, which are tried as crimes of sabotage and carry potential sentences of four to ten years in prison in their mildest form, but can reach 30 – or life imprisonment or death – if the consequences are serious or affect anyone’s personal safety.

Among those currently being prosecuted, “23 of them have already been permanently dismissed from the organization. We have one left who is under a precautionary measure because he is in the process of being investigated,” said Argelis Lescay Martínez, head of the renewable energy investment group of the Unión Eléctrica [Electric Union]. Throughout the program, the official emphasized the importance of careful personnel selection in order to have committed guards. continue reading

“I believe the best people have to be guarding the park. The most responsible, most serious people, the people with the most appropriate civic conduct”

“I believe the best people have to be guarding the park. The most responsible, most serious people, the people with the most appropriate civic conduct. But also, it’s not just the salary, you have to show those people some affection; they need to feel that they are in the most important place, that it is providing energy for the people. It’s not just the salary,” he insisted.

The figures, of course, leave no room for doubt. These workers, he specified, are on support staff scale six, which according to official regulations means a base salary of 4,065 CUP, to which would be added a supplement that, according to Lescay Martínez’s estimates, would be around 877 pesos. In total, with the data provided, the employee earns about 5,000 pesos a month, which at the informal exchange rate amounts to around six dollars.

Although Lieutenant Colonel Eduardo Ábalo Mendoza, deputy department head in the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation of the Ministry of the Interior, agreed – “selective personnel with conviction must be sought to protect these installations” – there was a dissenting opinion in the room.

“We have… let’s say, a high level of salary demotivation. Ours are among the lowest salaries in the country’s business systems today. The salary of one of our guards doesn’t exceed 4,000 pesos, or 3,700-something,” stated Junior González Núñez, first vice president of the Water and Sanitation Business Group of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources.

Humberto López, the program’s host, interrupted the executive: “This is a matter that has to improve immediately because we are talking about the place on which a community’s water depends,” he rebuked.

“We have… let’s say, a high level of salary demotivation. Ours are among the lowest salaries in the country’s business systems today. The salary of one of our guards doesn’t exceed 4,000 pesos, or 3,700-something”

González Núñez elaborated that the water situation is substantially different from that of the large electric parks and even the installations on community buildings, because, since the panels are installed in small communities to which water is to be brought, the crime remains within a small circle where the neighbors themselves help resolve the situation and even point out the culprit.

According to his explanation, there are some 856 communities with these resources, out of the more than 1,300 that are intended to be covered, but any one of these thefts can leave more than 20 families without running water. In the case of the hydraulic companies, it is not specifically guards – except at night – who are in charge of watching over the panels, but specialized operators.

In the case of the solar parks, said Lescay Martínez – where there are the most cases of vandalism, because they are isolated out in the fields – the installation is carried out first, along with training in operational and security matters. “Many of these institutions have their own security and protection force and we take part in the preparation we provide them,” he noted. Once the assembly is finished, responsibility rests in the hands of these workers.

Lescay Martínez said that the 46 parks already installed in the country have about 26 or 28 panels on each table (metal structure), but stealing just one is enough to put the whole circuit out of action. “When a photovoltaic panel is removed, it leaves the energy of the entire table useless,” he explained. This means, he calculated, around 15.5 kilowatts per hour that go ungenerated. Many of the thefts even precede the commissioning of the park, when the parts are stored inside the fence awaiting installation. Neither the fence nor the security cameras have prevented the vandalism, precisely because of the cooperation of those who are supposed to supervise it.

“A large percentage of incidents of this kind have been cleared up and others are now in the investigation phase”

“A large percentage of incidents of this kind have been cleared up and others are now in the investigation phase,” stated Ábalo Mendoza, who lamented that there is also violence on many occasions, including stone-throwing resulting in injuries to those guards who risk their lives for such a low salary.

The lieutenant colonel warned that the panels can be identified one by one, making it easier to detect the origin of one that has been stolen. “It’s very easy, when carrying out an investigative process, to go to a home, see the panels and the number, look up the number and you know where the panel comes from. In addition, the panel has a plate on the back with a set of data, which makes it evident that it comes from such-and-such photovoltaic park, from such-and-such project,” he added.

Meanwhile, the guests argued, although there is an extra 5% of resources provided for in the contract to replace parts that may break – which makes it possible to have reserves in case of theft – what is needed is not always covered. And, while waiting for it to arrive, “a community is left, as the comrade was saying, eight or ten days without drinking water. Plus the replacement of the panels that has to be done, the consequences are high.”

Translated by GH.
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