Argentina Donates Solar Panel Kits to Cuba Amid Energy Crisis

A chartered vessel delivered a container of 45 solar panel kits, each rated at 3 kilowatts (total 135 kW), to the port of Mariel in Cuba. The equipment was donated by the Argentine Solidarity Movement (Movimiento Argentino de Solidaridad con Cuba) through the “Estamos con Cuba” fundraising campaign, which raised over 95 million Argentine pesos (about US$66,500) from more than a hundred organisations across Argentina.

The kits are intended for families, medical clinics or other social institutions, though the Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines has not yet announced the specific recipients. The container remains at Mariel pending customs clearance. The donation arrives as Cuba faces a severe electricity shortfall, with the Electric Union projecting a peak‑hour deficit of roughly 2,200 MW against a demand of 3,200 MW. Public reaction in Cuba is mixed, with some welcoming the aid and others questioning how the panels will be distributed.

The shipment is a civil‑society initiative, not an official government‑to‑government transfer.