Residents and Cubans Abroad Raise Over $10,000 for Solar Panels at ETECSA Base in Sancti Spíritus

In the town of Zaza del Medio, located in the Taguasco municipality of Sancti Spíritus, local residents joined forces with Cubans living abroad to gather $10,300 and 26,000 Cuban pesos. Their goal? To purchase 30 solar panels along with a complete photovoltaic kit to power the ETECSA mobile base station in their community. This effort came as a direct response to the almost constant communication blackout caused by frequent power outages.

This grassroots initiative was spearheaded by the locals themselves, who organized a fundraising campaign through various channels. They set up a Zelle account to collect contributions from abroad and held in-person collections at the town park every afternoon.

Power cuts in Zaza del Medio often lasted over a day, with only a couple of hours of electricity between outages. This left residents without internet or phone services, cutting them off from family members outside Cuba.

Community-Led Solution

According to Luis Orlando Gómez Castro, the president of the local Popular Council, the government lacked the budget for such an expensive investment. He acknowledged the significant role played by the Cuban diaspora: "It's important to highlight those who, even from afar and with Cuban blood still in their veins, contributed financially to restore communication in Zaza del Medio."

However, not everyone in the community supported the idea. Critics questioned why residents had to fund infrastructure for a state-owned company known for its exorbitant rates and subpar internet service.

The High Cost of Connectivity

Despite the opposition, most residents pushed forward, driven by the urgent need to reconnect with family abroad. Cuban state media covered the installation of the solar system but failed to mention that the initiative was born from the residents. Instead, they vaguely reported that "through a call made by different media, the necessary economic support was gathered to obtain the solar panels," as stated by Gómez Castro to Radio Sancti Spíritus.

This community-driven effort underscores the regime's inability to address the population's needs, particularly when it involves ETECSA, one of the government's most powerful enterprises. Interestingly, while the residents of Zaza del Medio completed the installation of the panels they financed, the company benefiting from this infrastructure continues to charge them the same high rates for a service the state admitted it couldn't guarantee.

ETECSA's Controversial Role

ETECSA, Cuba's sole telecommunications operator, is controlled by the military conglomerate GAESA. The company has faced criticism for shutting down internet access during politically tense times. Notably, during the July 11, 2021 protests, ETECSA cut off service for over 50 hours and blocked platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram.