Worker Electrocuted in Santiago de Cuba Identified as José García Huerta

A tragic workplace accident on Monday afternoon in Santiago de Cuba resulted in the death of José García Huerta, affectionately known as “Popó” by those close to him. The 39-year-old lived on 25th Street in the Nuevo Vista Alegre neighborhood.

Independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada reported that witnesses and sources familiar with the incident revealed the accident occurred shortly after 1:00 p.m. García Huerta was engaged in the installation of a roof on an old building located on Aguilera Street in the city center. While attempting to lift a purlin—a structural metal bar—it inadvertently made contact with high-voltage cables, resulting in an electrical shock that caused him to fall from a significant height onto the street, according to Mayeta's Facebook post.

The contact between the metal and the cables triggered a short circuit, leading to power outages across various parts of the city center. The steel bar remained hanging over the cables at the site, alongside García Huerta's safety helmet, serving as silent witnesses to the tragedy.

García Huerta lay critically injured on the street for several minutes until passersby came to his aid. A driver quickly transported him to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, upon arrival at the Joaquín Castillo Duany Military Hospital, he was pronounced dead due to his injuries.

In recent months, there has been a troubling increase in fatal workplace accidents within Cuba's electrical sector, particularly affecting linemen. In March 2024, Leonel Barroso Machín, a young employee of the UEB in the Boyeros municipality of Havana, died after falling from a pole while repairing storm damage. Despite undergoing surgery, his condition worsened, and he passed away two days later. His death sparked an outpouring of solidarity among his colleagues, who remembered him as a dedicated worker.

A similar incident occurred in August of the same year when another young lineman was electrocuted while working on a high-voltage line. Reports indicated that the accident happened in a work environment lacking proper safety conditions, a common issue among electrical brigades in the country.

Additionally, in March 2024, lineman Daniel Vega de la Cruz from the Matanzas Electric Company died after falling from a substation in San Juan. He suffered severe fractures and underwent surgeries, but deep vein thrombosis claimed his life nearly a month later. In an interview before his death, Vega voiced concerns about the deterioration of metal structures they worked on and stressed the critical need for protective equipment.