Cuban Seismology Chief Criticizes CITMA's Dissolution as Authorities Ignore Warnings

Enrique Diego Arango Arias, the head of Cuba's National Seismology Service, expressed strong disapproval on Tuesday regarding the official release of the law that abolishes the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA). He accused the authorities of completely disregarding the warnings issued by experts in the field.

Arango, who serves as the technical deputy director at the National Center for Seismological Research (CENAIS), took to Facebook to reveal that specialists had submitted their concerns to the email provided by the National Assembly of People’s Power (ANPP). He lamented that their input was met with silence, stating, "They outright ignored (to put it lightly) the analyses conducted by numerous specialists, which highlighted the grave mistake of eliminating CITMA."

The catalyst for his recent outburst was the publication, on Monday, of Law 186 "On the Organization of the State Central Administration" in the Official Gazette (Ordinary Edition No. 90), set to take effect on November 9, 2026.

Impact of the New Legislation

Approved by the ANPP on July 30, the law reduces the number of State Central Administration bodies from 27 to 21 and dissolves CITMA, redistributing its responsibilities between two new ministries: the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, and the Ministry of Environment, Habitat and Water Resources.

The latter will oversee, as per Article 92 of the law, the management of seismological and hydrometeorological monitoring networks, placing CENAIS under the same umbrella as water, land registry, and housing management.

Arango pinpointed a technical flaw in the legislation, stating, "Both INSMET and CENAIS do more than operate 'monitoring networks'; they are scientific institutions managing project programs and conducting fundamental and applied research among other Science, Technology, and Innovation missions."

Broader Criticism and Reactions

This critique is not new. The day after parliamentary approval, Arango described the dissolution of CITMA as a "serious mistake" made without consultation, pointing out that ministry workers and leaders were not involved in discussions, and no scientific study supported the decision's benefits.

He also warned that "the vast majority of our organization's workers aren't even aware that CITMA is being dissolved."

In Matanzas, CITMA employee Luis Ernesto Martínez González revealed that the staff received "not a single written question" before the decision was made, and they were only informed about the dissolution on May 8, 2026, less than three months before legislative approval.

Arango's post sparked a flood of comments from citizens and professionals sharing his frustration. "Why listen to experts if the infallible had already made the decision? That was a given," wrote Zoilo Rafael Fernández Hernández. Another user criticized the law's mix of duties: "Seismology with water management, land registry... There’s a mishmash of functions there only they understand."

CENAIS operates a network of 25 seismic stations, providing real-time data to Caribbean tsunami warning systems, a role deemed incompatible with a ministry focused on environmental and water resources.

Impacted organizations will have up to a year from the law's enactment to complete the transfer of personnel, assets, and financial resources. Critics argue that this timeframe is inadequate for such a significant restructuring.