Madrid/Exemplary trials for crimes that concern the energy system continue to be shown in the official press, with increasingly higher penalties. This Thursday, Havana Tribune da news of a process which ended with sentences of 20, 18, 16 and 15 years in prison, respectively, for four people – although they do not detail who received what specific sentence -: Noerlis Agüero Aguirre, Yoel Noel Ortiz Fontes, Andy Travieso Salazar and Ramón David Cruz Grajales.
According to official information, they stole 140 liters of dielectric oil from a transformer at the electrical substation that serves the Havana Dairy Complex, “with the purpose of selling it and benefiting from the profits obtained.” Although with this the authorities themselves make the motivations clear – the product is usually resold in the informal market to be used as fuel – the crime for which they were prosecuted was “energy sabotage.”
As a consequence of their actions, the note continues, “there was an interruption of the energy service to the Dairy Complex and a total stoppage of the factory’s production process,” which had an “economic impact” of 10,272,712.80 pesos in “items that were intended, among others, for the regulated family basket and the school snack.” The report says nothing about the blackouts in the area, belonging to the municipality of Cotorro, which according to data from the provincial Electric Company reaches almost 12 hours in a row without service. At no time is it specified when the events occurred.
Purchasing dielectric oil again and repairing the equipment cost, according to the details released, 81,591.24 pesos (a little more than 100 dollars at the current informal exchange rate).
Purchasing dielectric oil again and repairing the equipment cost, according to the details released, 81,591.24 pesos (a little more than 100 dollars at the current informal exchange rate).
Despite the minimal amounts, the prose of Havana Tribune magnifies the actions of the defendants. Thus, it reads: “To carry out the incident, they took advantage of the nighttime and the fact that one of those involved was working as a security agent at the aforementioned center.” Of course, the heroism of the diligent is included in the story of the events: “the other members of the protection team, in compliance with their duties” were the ones who surprised the accused when “they were trying to leave the premises with the oil packaged in 7 tanks of 20 liters each.”
Regarding the crime of sabotage, “aggravating circumstances” were applied to them, that is: “they acted in a group made up of more than three people, they carried out the illegal theft taking advantage of the night and they did it for economic benefit.”
The ruling party does not hide the reasons for this type of process, filled with allusions to the usual enemy: “The trial was developed in an exemplary manner considering that these events contravene the efforts made by the State to guarantee the production of basic necessities for the population in the face of the unfavorable energy situation in the country caused by the economic blockade imposed by the United States of America.” This context that they propose as an aggravating circumstance omits, however, that the United States is where it comes from. all the gasoline that is consumed today in Cubasurpassing, in fact, the deliveries of Venezuela in the times of Hugo Chávez.
The Havana Electric Company reported this Wednesday that it is protecting substations with “chemical traps”
On the other hand, despite the publicity given to these types of trials, crimes related to the energy system continue to occur. As a preventive measure, the Havana Electric Company reported this Wednesday that is protecting the substations with “chemical traps,” which does not detail what it consists of but claims to allow the identification of those who commit this type of robbery.
On September 18, the provincial press of Holguín reported on a process in which not only those responsible for the theft of dielectric oil were sentenced – two people, to 10 and 8 years in prison – but also to two buyers of the productto a year and a half and 10 months in prison, respectively, “alternated with correctional work.”
According to data from the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic itself, between 2025 and the first half of 2026, more than 460 criminal investigations related to similar events, under the accusations of “sabotage”, “damages”, “robbery with force of things”, “theft” and “reception”. All the courts so far this year, in fact, have been sentenced for the crime of “sabotage”, the majority to sentences of more than 10 years in prison.
The dielectric oil subtraction of transformers is the predominant crime, with more than 300 complaints during that period in all provinces. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the highest incidents were recorded in Matanzas, Ciego de Ávila, Mayabeque, Santiago de Cuba and Artemisa. The agency also reports theft of angles from high-voltage towers, cables, wires and screws from distribution networks, as well as damage to photovoltaic solar parks.
87% of the defendants presented received the precautionary measure of provisional detention, the statement said. In this type of information, the Prosecutor’s Office usually remembers that articles 125 and 126 of the Cuban Penal Code establish for the crime of “sabotage” penalties of between seven and 30 years of deprivation of liberty, in addition to perpetual deprivation of liberty or death in aggravated cases.
