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🇨🇺 Cuba /Energy & Infrastructure

Santa Lucía: Village solutions

From Granma · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • Residents of Santa Lucía, Cuba, collectively funded and installed a photovoltaic system to restore communication services.
  • The initiative was driven by the need to overcome power outages and communication blackouts affecting the community.
  • This self-sufficient solution, involving farmers, cooperatives, and the local population, ensures vital communication lines remain active.

In Santa Lucía, a community in Cuba's Cabaiguán municipality, residents have taken matters into their own hands to restore vital communication services. Facing persistent energy shortages and communication blackouts, a group of individuals, including a progressive tobacco farmer, proposed a community-funded solution: installing a photovoltaic kit at their communications center.

The idea quickly gained traction. More producers joined, along with cooperatives and the general population, all contributing financially to acquire the necessary solar panels. Adamelia González, a member of the Sergio Soto credit and services cooperative, explained that the initiative aimed to find a "homegrown solution." Eridania Pérez, the head of the People's Council, enthusiastically supported the plan from its inception.

We gathered a group of people. and then an advanced tobacco producer told us that together we could put a photovoltaic kit in our communications center.

— Adamelia GonzálezA member of the Sergio Soto credit and services cooperative, explaining the origin of the initiative.

Six cooperatives in the area and independent producers pledged their support. Even retirees contributed. Specialists from ETECSA, the telecommunications company, then installed the 6 kW system, completing the work in just two days. This effort has ended the anxiety of being unable to contact emergency services like ambulances or reach family members during critical times.

Darwin Pérez Figueredo, who manages the Cabaiguán telecommunications center, highlighted the significance of this achievement. Amidst the country's fuel shortages and prolonged power outages, Santa Lucía can now maintain continuous and reliable communications. This was made possible by the determination of its productive base and inhabitants to solve their own problems.

with all the legal requirements.

— ETECSA specialistsDescribing their role in installing the solar kit.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Granma in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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