Cuba faces surge in solar panel thefts, disrupting TV and cellular services

In Holguín province, thieves removed four solar panels from the La Alcaraza site, cutting television and mobile phone signals for four remote communities in the Plan Turquino mountains. Local resident Pablo Céspedes Molina called the perpetrators "honorable criminals" and warned that the theft jeopardises future installations across the region.

A month later, authorities in Ciego de Ávila foiled another attempt at the Las Nereidas solar park. Guards confronted three intruders with stones, and the would‑be thieves fled without damaging any panels. Officials said "todo apunta a una acción planificada, no a un intento espontáneo." The incident prompted reinforced fencing, cold‑welded panel mounts and nightly police patrols.

Both cases are part of a broader wave of solar‑panel thefts across Cuba in 2026, driven by a severe energy crisis that has raised the black‑market value of photovoltaic equipment. The Cuban government classifies such acts as sabotage, prescribing prison terms of up to thirty years, life imprisonment or even the death penalty for the most serious offences. The state has redirected donated solar units to restore services in affected municipalities, underscoring the strategic importance of solar‑powered communications infrastructure.