What might sound like the headline of a meme or a parody of news from Cuba's Electrical Union (UNE) is actually what transpired this Saturday in three municipalities of Sancti Spíritus, according to reports from the provincial Electric Company. "The Jicotea, Majagua, Orlando González circuit is without power to remove the buzzard from the Substation. Please keep devices unplugged to avoid damage," stated the Electric Company of Ciego de Ávila on Telegram.
In their endless and grim creativity, the Cuban regime has now invented a new excuse to justify the ongoing power outages across the island. Starting Saturday, "removing a buzzard from the substation" will serve as the latest pretext for the officials in charge of the country's electric supply to skirt around addressing the real causes behind the collapse of the national electro-energy system (SEN).
Creative Excuses for Power Failures
Recently, Cuban authorities have resorted to claims of oil theft from electrical transformers to rationalize the prolonged outages that the population endures daily. A report from Canal Caribe asserted in mid-September that the theft of lubricant leads to considerable damage to infrastructure and extended service outages, sometimes leaving neighborhoods and communities without electricity for over 24 hours.
"When these incidents occur at substations and oil is stolen from a 4,000 KVA substation transformer, it results in about 5,000 customers losing service," explained Israel Ramos, a UNE specialist. Initially, the alleged thefts of dielectric oil began in electrical substation equipment, but UNE officials now report them in distribution transformers located on poles.
Strained Resources and Delays
"The incidents occurring recently have caused our reserves to diminish, and we no longer have backup transformers," Ramos emphasized. In such cases, alternatives must be sought in other provinces, delaying solutions while customers remain without service. "Last week, the town of Zulueta in Villa Clara was without power for about three days," he added.
Back in June, authorities from the entity identified the phenomenon as one of the factors further complicating Cuba's already challenging energy landscape. Meanwhile, the Cuban people are fed up with hearing excuses and justifications that mask the regime's inefficiency. This sentiment is evident in the comments and criticisms expressed by thousands of users on the social media pages of the UNE and provincial electric companies.
Public Outcry and Discontent
"This is a constant psychological disturbance, and to top it off, lie after lie. No one provides solutions to these problems that worsen every day," expressed an internet user in mid-July. Comments like theirs appear daily on social media.
In September 2023, Mario Castillo Salas, the director of the Electric Company of Havana, reported that at least 25 circuits in the capital were tripped by a passing storm. "The persistence of rain in several municipalities limits restoration work," added the post, which received numerous comments from users claiming the storm was the perfect excuse for new outages.
By February of that year, after the fourth major blackout in just nine days, Cuban users were outraged. Amid "forest fires" and "human errors," the SEN suffered one of its most significant collapses in recent times. "How can they be so cynical, deceitful, manipulative (...). Please be more creative, come up with a better lie," commented one frustrated user. "It's simple, this political system doesn't work, the same leaders know it and are aware of it, but they don't care," added another.