Cuban regime threatens to rigorously punish those who steal from the electrical system

Cuba will impute those who incur crimes associated with the national electrical system as perpetrators of «acts against state security.»

In the program we make Cuba on February 14, officials of the Electric Union (UNE) and the Ministry of Interior (Minint) warned that the theft of electrical resources will be punished with severe sentences, including the typification of sabotage, a threat highlighted by the Officialist spokesman Humberto López, conductor of the space.

Laritza Diversent, executive director of the Cubalex Legal Advice Center, told Martí News that «the illegality committed in the official program increases when such a pronouncement is also used» to intimidate in the media. «

“The first thing is that Humberto is not an authority empowered to make such decisions and much less to announce it on television, without before the National Assembly or the Executive having issued an order because it would be qualifying a crime that has nothing to do with The security of the inner state, ”he said.

State officials tried to show the theft of electrical components as serious crimes and important factors of the national energy crisis.

“It is impossible that in Cuba the energy crisis now becomes a consequence of robberies when it is known, and the data of the government itself say, that the State has prioritized investment in hotels, nothing to do with agriculture or with the energy system , which must be the priorities of the country, ”said Diversent.

The difficulties of the electrical system, far from decreasing, are amplified day by day. Last week, and the one that just begins, service interruptions They remained for 20 and more hours continuous throughout the island.

Last Friday and Saturday, Cuba suspended «non -essential» teaching and labor activities due to the electrical crisis.

Faced with shortage, the national electrical system faces the dismantling of solar parks, the theft of the transformers and cable oil, authorities highlighted in the television event.

«Acts such as fuel theft, sabotage or illegal manipulation of networks affect the energy stability and well -being of the people,» they said.

It was also reported on harsh sanctions for the receptors, that is, against those who participate in the extraction, marketing or purchase of these stolen goods.

Similarly, embezzlement and corruption were mentioned, which involve workers in the electricity sector who participate in the illegal appropriation of these goods, or commit negligence by not safeguarding them.

Diversent considers that the authorities «cannot transfer the responsibility of the energy crisis to unscrupulous people. Rather, unscrupulous people would be the members of the Government who have made wrong decisions and are still there when they had to be, at least, fired or present their resignation».

He added that intimidating on television is a crime, especially when we are seeing that, instead of sending caution to the population, what is evident is that they are moving the responsibility of the energy crisis to which it does not correspond. ”

“It is a justification to entertain the population. How many robberies have happened for the State to make this decision? And he (López) is an authority empowered to make this type of ads and make these types of decisions? He questioned.