His stature is not similar to a skyscraper but his calmness when facing any breakdown in the lines, or danger due to high voltage, makes his team infallible, regardless of height; hence why he is seen as a “ big man." This is Eradis Herrera Espinosa, a Brigade Chief at the Las Tunas Municipal UEB of the Electric Company.
“I have worked in so many hurricanes that I have lost count, but Hurricane Ian is fresh in my memory. We went to Pinar del Río and when we arrived to help them restore the electrical service in the municipality of Minas de Matahambre everything was destroyed; the roads were impassable due to the trees on the ground, many houses were destroyed, and really turned out to be difficult days.
“The mountainous terrain and the microclimate in many areas made our task more dangerous. But people from Las Tunas always move forward without fear. The ‘boys’ know that safety comes first, and there we showed that we are an all-terrain team.”
For the second time, the electrical workers from Las Tunas worked for more than 12 uninterrupted hours, helping more than 14 thousand customers have electricity again. Their performance was praised by the government authorities of the sister province, and especially by the people of Pinar del Río.
Eradis continues to retrace his memories in the company and focuses on his teaching work. “When I started teaching classes at the Training UEB, I felt out of place because I was used to being in the field -he smiles, adjusts the sash around his waist, and continues. Then, one grows fond of the young people and it is inevitable to see them as children. I feel satisfied to witness their performance in the different brigades.”
“I have been training electrical linemen for more than five years; no group is the same as another but I always try to make the issue of safety clear to them. In this profesión, there is no room for error since any distraction can cost your life.”
2023 came full of challenges at work, and Herrera Espinosa confirmed his formula. “We had many challenges but we showed that, together, we can.” For a lineman -he knows that- solving a breakdown is what it is for an artist to go on stage and conquer the public with his work; the only difference is that these men do it every day and since it is every day, their effort and value go unnoticed.
However, recognized as “key positions”, electrical linemen constitute the direct line between the Electric Company and the customers. They are, ultimately, those who are on the front line of the daily battle against the effects that the people may have and, therefore, they are heroes without a cape.
“When we leave home, the first and last thing we think about during the day is our family. There are many hours of work at times; and the home is our fundamental pillar, which helps us to move forward. To a large extent, there is the vital motivation to do the work that we have to do well, and not to go unnoticed any detail that intervenes in our care.”
Congratulated by his career on more than one occasion, Eradis is one of the outstanding linemen who make up the most energetic group in Las Tunas. With examples like his, electrical workers celebrate their National Day immersed in consolidating -one by one- the projections for 2024 in the sector, and perfecting services in the interest of current technological changes.
