Osvaldo, an old man who made a living transporting people in a cart, was murdered this Sunday for allegedly stealing his horse in the municipality of Encrucijada, Villa Clara. His death generated a wave of indignation among those close to him, who remembered the Colonel, as he was known, as a humble man and willing to help the neighbors.
The crime, of which the authorities have not offered an official version, was denounced on social networks. His family and friends reported him missing after failing to return from a trip he had scheduled for Sunday morning. On the night of that same day, several Facebook users reported the discovery of his body in a cane field, with his throat cut and a cut hand, while the cart and horse were stolen.
“Whoever did this barbarity of killing a poor old man has to pay. I ask everyone who could see something to please let it be known”, wrote on Facebook a user identified as Reinaldo Rodríguez Velásquez. Several commentators claimed that the Colonel’s family alerted the Police about his disappearance, but the officers did not take the case seriously because 72 hours had not yet passed.
Osvaldo, whose last names have not been revealed, was described as “a humble man, a good neighbor and a friend to all” by the user Ana Laura Bacallo, who claimed to have known the victim since she was little. “All the memories I have of him are how he helped the neighbors and he never had a problem with anyone,” she added.
“Whoever did this barbarity of killing a poor old man has to pay. I ask everyone who could see something to please let it know”
The violent theft of animals in Cuban fields has been on the rise for the past two years. A report published in this newspaper last July exposed the methods of thieves to steal large and small livestock from private farms.
The criminals study the place and the owners of the animals well, and use different painkillers to sedate oxen, cows and pigs, which they then transport in carts or dismember on the spot. The situation is increasingly common in Villa Clara and other provinces in central Cuba, where, in addition to being used in agricultural work, animals serve as a means of transportation in the cities.
In the absence of an efficient urban transport system, cities such as Santa Clara, Remedios or Encrucijada depend on carts or carriages towed by horses. Although it is true that these means alleviate the lack of buses or electric motorcycles, they leave a notable balance of dirt, accidents and animal abuse.
Often, the horses used for transportation must drag several times their weight under the whip of the coachmen. The situation becomes even more unfortunate during the summer months, when the animals often pass out from fatigue and dehydration. Coachmen generally keep their animals in makeshift stables in their own homes or on the outskirts of cities. It is frequent that violent robberies also take place there, with the aim of taking possession of the horse –which they transport to another municipality or province, so as not to be recognized– or kill it to eat.
Cuba is facing a growing wave of violence, triggered in part by the deep economic crisis the island is experiencing. Last July, Santiago Morgado, a teacher from Sancti Spíritus, was assassinated with the aim of stealing a motorcycle that they later tried to sell. for the price of 200,000 pesos. The official Escambray newspaper revealed that five individuals had been involved in Morgado’s death. The 62-year-old man was found several days after his death in a well where his assailants had thrown him.
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The team of 14ymedio He is committed to doing serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for accompanying us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time becoming a member of our newspaper. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
