A bold theft of 1,000 meters of electrical cable has plunged 18 homes in the rural community of Las Biajacas, Holguín, into darkness for almost a full week. "Six days without electricity in Las Biajacas following the theft of overhead cables in the area. Eighteen households affected, families have had to adapt," reported the Facebook page Realidades desde Holguín.
The official profile expressed satisfaction as local residents finally had the stolen cables returned by the police. The theft was attributed to "unscrupulous individuals" who exacerbated the struggles of families already facing a resource crisis and shortages, the page acknowledged.
This sort of theft has become increasingly commonplace in Cuba, where a deepening systemic crisis is driving many to resort to stealing whatever is accessible merely to survive. Earlier in March, two men were apprehended in Cárdenas after pilfering over 1,100 meters of cable from a state enterprise and attempting to extract copper by burning it in a nearby yard.
The incident took place at the José Valdez Reyes Industrial Railway Company, where the alleged culprits, identified as José Antonio Zamora Gonzáles and Emilio Vinageras Sardina, made off with a total of 1,158 meters of cable.
More recently, official media in Havana conceded that cable thefts at public facilities have disrupted telephone services, impacting hundreds of individuals. By the end of 2024, the Cuban capital documented 39 acts of vandalism that disrupted services for approximately 300 residential and state entities, affecting around 600 people.
Understanding the Impact of Cable Theft in Cuba
Why is cable theft becoming more frequent in Cuba?
The ongoing systemic crisis in Cuba is driving many to resort to theft as a means of survival, as resources become scarcer and shortages more severe.
How are communities coping with the aftermath of cable thefts?
Communities are being forced to adapt by finding alternative solutions to manage without electricity, often with little to no resources available.
What measures are being taken to prevent further cable thefts?
Authorities are working to recover stolen cables and apprehend those responsible, but measures to prevent future thefts remain limited due to resource constraints.