Dielectric Oil: Alarming Figures, Economic Damage, and Broken Families

As of August 2026, the Ministry of Energy and Mines confirmed 479 cases of dielectric oil theft in the country. Matanzas is the most affected province, with 175 incidents. A criminal modality that has spread throughout the national territory and leaves devastating consequences for thousands of Cuban families.

The Figures of a Crisis

The theft of dielectric oil from electrical transformers is not a minor crime. Its effects are measured in liters lost, in damaged substations, in entire communities without electrical service for weeks or months.

In the province of Matanzas alone, more than 55,950 liters of oil have been stolen. Of 98 substations that exist in the territory, 43 have been affected, and twelve of them remain out of service.

The replacement cost exceeds 25,000 dollars for each damaged transformer. A figure that, multiplied by the hundreds of cases in the country, represents a significant economic blow to the national electrical system.

Entire Communities in the Dark

Behind the statistics are faces, families, and communities that have seen their daily lives transformed by the lack of electricity and, consequently, of drinking water.

· Batey Gratitud (Jovellanos): has been looted six times in three months, representing four thousand residents of nine communities affected.

· Batey San José de Marcos (Jagüey Grande): more than 30 days without electricity after the theft of about a thousand liters of oil.

· Carbonera: more than three months without electrical service.

· There are communities that have been up to 105 days without electricity.

The Government’s Response

The Government classifies these thefts as sabotage, with penalties ranging from seven to 30 years in prison, perpetual deprivation, or even death in serious cases.

In Matanzas, there are 22 cases in the preparatory phase with 71 defendants. The Prosecutor’s Office requested pretrial detention for 87 percent of the accused. Those tried this year for crimes against the electrical system have received sentences of between nine and 20 years.

The Human Damage: Beyond the Figures

These figures are alarming because of the economic cost they cause the country. But there is a damage that, in my judgment, is more harmful: the one suffered by the families of those who were tried or await trial, as well as that of those who have had to endure long absences of electricity.

Many of those sanctioned are young people who must be behind bars for years — a period they will never be able to recover. They will lose moments of satisfaction such as seeing their children grow, not being at the side of their mother, father, wife, or other close relatives.

A few days ago I watched a report by my colleague and friend Pedro Rizo, where the sanctioned person was a young man who apparently was no older than 20. I confess my heart clenched. I thought of my grandchildren, my nephews, my loved ones of that age. Likewise, I put myself in the place of the father or mother.

But that did not deprive me of being identified with the sanctions that are applied, because those who steal dielectric oil know well the harm they cause to society.

A Call to Reflection and Action

To the one who has already stolen the oil and was not caught, I give this advice: do not think that luck is always on your side. And to the one who has not done it and is thinking about it, let them ask the following question: Is it worth serving a sentence of years for a few ill-gotten pesos?

I also want to give advice to the Electric Company, the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, and the communities. Those transformers must be protected. What happened at Batey Gratitud in Jovellanos is a mockery: it has been looted six times in three months.

The criminals must be cut off; do not leave them a free path.

The figures were taken from Humberto López’s profile.