The worker attempted to cover up the theft by pouring water into the tank of a generator that eventually failed during a blackout.
14ymedio, Havana, 5 April 2025 — The Cuban press has become a fan of the thriller. This week, along with the catalog of exemplary trials for drug trafficking, it published a case of “sabotage” against the Ministry of the Interior, which it describes as “extremely serious.” The crime, for which an operator of a generator unit in Ciego de Ávila was sentenced to seven years in prison, was the theft of “30 liters of diesel” in 2024.
Following the custom of the state press, Invasor does not offer the exact date of the trial but reports that the theft occurred before April 29 last year, when, in an audit of the Ciego 1 generator unit, the authorities noticed the lack of fuel. “Perhaps overcome by nervousness,” he says, the worker poured water into the tank to cover up the theft.
The media does not explain why, despite having noticed the lack, the apparent replacement of fuel was not investigated. But it didn’t happen until a blackout – “which is part of everyday life” – forced the generator to enter the national electrical system around 10:00 pm on Monday. With water in the tank, “after about 20 minutes the Ciego 1 slowed down and stopped working,” it reports dramatically.
The number of problems that were triggered from the failure of the generator is what led a worker of “impeccable and outstanding social and labor behavior” to appear in criminal court against the Security of the State of Camagüey and not in a civil court.
With the blackout, the Ministry of the Interior communications center was disconnected, as was the territory’s surveillance cameras
With the blackout, the Ministry of Interior communications center was disconnected, as was the surveillance cameras of the territory, “the flow of information in the province and the nation,” and the telephone services of the police and firefighters. It also caused “an economic impact on the Telecommunications company (Etecsa) of 5.74 pesos for the value of the two filters that it was necessary to replace to restore the unit,” emphasizes Invasor.
The court asked for seven years in prison for the worker, with the right to request a cassation appeal to reduce the sentence, and the “blue jug” he used to pour water into the generator was confiscated.
The media reports the confession of the accused: “It was the time when the electricity went out every day, and I thought they were going to blame me for that. I got nervous, and the solution that I came up with was to pour in liters of water so that when they measured… My intention was never to harm anything; I am quite sorry and quite ashamed, because I am not a person who commits a crime, much less one who commits sabotage.”
The career of the employee, who had worked in Ciego 1 for 10 years, and the fact that he had no criminal record were mitigating
The career of the employee, who had worked in Ciego 1 for 10 years, and the fact that he had no criminal record were mitigating, Invasor clarifies. But “the seriousness and harmfulness of the acts committed” determined that he was charged, in addition to theft, with sabotage. “The crime of sabotage affects the public good and the internal security of the State,” the Prosecutor’s Office argued.
The energy crisis on the Island, impossible to detach from the shortage of fuel, has prompted the State to launch a hunt against those who steal the product. Last February, 14ymedio reported the arrest of the mayor of Manzanillo (Granma), along with other officials, for doing business under the table with oil destined for services and state companies.
However, the case of Osvaldo Antonio Incencio Piñeiro, contrary to that of the accused of Ciego 1, was carried out with the utmost discretion because he was a leader. “Everything was done behind closed doors in the offices of the municipal Communist Party and the government,” a source close to the investigation told this newspaper.
Translated by Regina Anavy
____________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.