Electric Line Workers in Cuba: From Revered Heroes to Scorned Villains, Says Art Critic

The Cuban journalist and art critic Jorge Rivas Rodríguez shared a stark reflection on Facebook this past Sunday, capturing the dramatic decline in public perception of electric line workers in Cuba. With the title "From Revered Heroes to Scorned Villains," Rivas, who serves as the head of the cultural section at Trabajadores newspaper and is a recipient of the José Antonio Fernández de Castro National Prize for Cultural Journalism, delved into this issue.

Rivas begins his commentary with a vivid image that encapsulates the daily hardships faced by many Cubans: "In the dimness of each humble neighborhood, where night signifies not just the absence of light but a cloak of neglect, the misfortune of power outages hangs heavily."

He recalls a time when these workers were celebrated figures. "In the past, those men and women climbing poles with steady, courageous hands were symbols of hope for a nation battered by devastating hurricanes. Their work was sacred: to rebuild, to restore the energy that brought life back to homes, schools, and hospitals," he notes.

However, this reputation has diminished. According to Rivas, "some unscrupulous line workers, once popular heroes, are now cursed and accused of diverting electricity to small businesses and influential individuals, leaving impoverished neighborhoods in the dark, their fate determined by a switch manipulated for interests far removed from the common good."

The journalist's accusation is not an isolated incident. In July, residents of Calabazar in Boyeros detained two electric workers accused of illegally selling electricity while the neighborhood remained in darkness; the workers were found with cash and beer inside the official vehicle. The Electric Union labeled the incident as an "isolated act of corruption" and referred the case to authorities.

This pattern is evident across the capital. On Thursday, August 6, residents of Marianao thwarted a power cut by demanding the line workers present the work order authorizing the maneuver, and involving the National Revolutionary Police when they refused. On Saturday, women in La Lisa reported that circuits 2073 and 2075 received barely an hour of electricity per day, while another circuit in the same area had six to eight hours continuously.

Corruption and Energy Crisis in Cuba

Roberto Morales Ojeda, a leader of the Communist Party, publicly acknowledged reports of corruption within the electric sector but attempted to downplay them by asserting that "a few cases tarnish the efforts of the majority."

All of this unfolds during Cuba's worst recorded energy crisis. The nation has experienced at least seven total collapses of the National Electric System so far in 2026, with blackouts lasting up to 20 and 24 hours daily in Havana and up to 87 consecutive hours without electricity in parts of Matanzas.

In this dire context, Rivas warns that "electricity, which should be a basic right, has become a manipulated privilege, a scarce resource distributed based on influence rather than essential needs," and that "the switch controlling the electric current is, fundamentally, the toggle of hope or despair."

Nevertheless, the state journalist avoids naming the primary culprits of the national electric collapse: the regime's leaders who have upheld flawed policies and neglected essential investments in a sector crucial to the functioning of the country's activities.

Rivas concludes his reflection with a warning and a wish: "History will neither forget nor forgive those who allowed corruption and labor indiscipline to obscure such a fundamental right. May the light, at last, shine for all, free of distinctions or barriers, illuminating not only the streets but also the path to a fairer and more united Cuba."