The full force of the law will be applied to those who attack the National Electric System
Cuban Attorney General’s Office, Granma, August 31, 2026 —
As a result of the fight against crimes against the National Electric System (SEN), more than 460 criminal investigations have been initiated in the country between 2025 and the first half of 2026, primarily for sabotage, damage, burglary, theft, and receiving stolen goods.
When the economic war and the maximum pressure policy of the United States government seek to break the resilience of our people and inflict all kinds of suffering upon them, with an energy blockade that causes fuel shortages and increases contingencies in the National Electric System (SEN), the Cuban state and government agencies, organizations, and other institutions are making significant efforts to guarantee the economy and vital services to the population under very complex conditions.
In this context, combating crime is a priority, with special attention to crimes affecting electricity generation and distribution, along with water supply, communications, transportation and other sectors, due to their impact on citizens’ living conditions, the economy, national security and internal order.
The Cuban Penal Code, in Articles 125 and 126, establishes penalties of between 7 and 30 years of imprisonment, life imprisonment, or death for the crime of sabotage.
In accordance with the above, since May 2025, the Supreme People’s Court has ruled that acts of vandalism by which perpetrators steal, damage, alter, or impair entities, components, parts, and pieces intended for the electrical power system, as well as other criminal acts of a similar nature that undermine critical infrastructure vital to the country’s economic and social development, constitute the crime of sabotage. These acts generate a climate of insecurity and unrest among the population and contravene the efforts made by the State and the Government in this regard.
As a result of efforts to combat crimes against the National Electric System (SEN), more than 460 criminal investigations were initiated nationwide between 2025 and the first half of 2026, primarily for sabotage, property damage, burglary, theft, and receiving stolen goods. These incidents predominantly involved the theft of dielectric oil from various types of transformers, the removal of angle brackets from high-voltage towers, the cutting and theft of cables, wires, and bolts from the electrical distribution network, and damage to photovoltaic solar parks.
Specifically, the theft of dielectric oil from transformers accounted for more than 300 reports during this period across all provinces, with the highest incidence in Matanzas, Ciego de Ávila, Mayabeque, Santiago de Cuba, and Artemisa.
Among the damage caused are the prolonged impact on thousands of families, not only by depriving them of electricity but also of other vital services; the shutdown of production centers essential for the supply of food, water, and communications; damage to agricultural production facilities; and the inability to repair some of the damaged transformers.
Tragically, some of the perpetrators lost their lives while attempting to steal the oil, as the power lines were energized.
Investigations carried out by specialized agencies of the Ministry of the Interior have established that these illicit activities are primarily committed in areas with little traffic, poor lighting, and a lack of security. The stolen oil has been found to be sold on the black market for use as fuel.
The Attorney General’s Office maintains rigorous oversight of the investigations into criminal proceedings initiated for these offenses. It has imposed pretrial detention on 87% of the defendants and requested severe penalties, using the charge of sabotage, given the seriousness of the acts, the impact on the population, and the damage caused.
Assets used in or derived from the crime, such as vehicles, agricultural machinery, and others, may be subject to seizure or confiscation.
All individuals tried in 2026 for offenses related to the National Electric System (SEN) have been convicted of sabotage, with sentences mostly ranging from 9 to 20 years of imprisonment, demonstrating the rigor of the courts.
Harmful acts such as those described exacerbate the country’s already difficult energy situation and undermine the efforts of the State and Government to reverse it. At the same time, they compel us to continue increasing preventive and remedial actions, rigorously enforcing regulations, and enhancing vigilance by entities, organizations, and the population in every community.
In keeping with our mission to defend socialist legality, and in strict compliance with the Constitution and the laws, we reaffirm that there will be no impunity for those who, in these complex circumstances, harm the well-being of our people.
Attorney General’s Office