The increasingly acute shortage in Cuba coincides with a wave of robberies in food stores. In the last few days alone, the authorities confirmed the seizure of 133 pounds of beef that was being sold illegally in the province of Villa Clara, while in Havana some thieves took all the rice stored in a warehouse in anticipation of its delivery in June in the rationed market.
In the Villa Clara municipality of Placetas, the Police reported this Monday, Maykel Vega, known locally as Maykel, was arrested Shoe, for illegally selling meat. The defendant, noticing the presence of the uniformed officers, tried to get rid of the product, throwing it out of the kitchen window of his house.
The operation took place after several members of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) informed the Police of the transfer of a shipment of meat to Vega’s house, in broad daylight, according to the profile of Facebook Fuerza del Pueblo, an account associated with the Ministry of the Interior.
The administrators of the profile said they had testimonies from various ranchers in the area, who indicated that Vega’s home was used as a warehouse for stolen meat on farms in the province.
The administrators of the profile said they had testimonies from various ranchers in the area, who indicated that Vega’s home was used as a warehouse for stolen meat.
In the operation, the authorities also seized “suitable instruments”, such as knives, a black briefcase with remains of meat inside and black rubber boots with “blood samples”.
Villa Clara has one of the highest rates of cattle theft on the Island. note of the official media Cubadebate, published on May 12, reported that the province lost an average of two head of cattle every hour between January and March of this year.
In the first quarter, producers lost 4,835 animals, of which 2,893 correspond to cattle (60%) and 1,942 to horses (40%). The number of crimes is more than double those reported in the same period of 2022, and the official press ventured to predict that, if the theft trend continues, the province would lose more than 19,000 animals this year.
This Monday the robbery of a warehouse, located on H street between 13 and 15, Vedado, Havana, was also confirmed.
This Monday, the robbery of a warehouse, located on H Street between 13 and 15, Vedado, Havana, perpetrated between Saturday night and Sunday morning, was also confirmed. Quoted by the newspaper Cuban Directory On condition of anonymity, an official from the Ministry of Domestic Trade said that the thieves took all the rice that was in the establishment and a part of the sugar that was going to be delivered for the basic basket, corresponding to the month of June.
The officer confirmed that this type of crime is increasingly common on the island in the midst of a deep crisis of food shortages. “If the rice was already short, how are we going to solve it while they replace it?” a neighbor questioned according to the newspaper.
Cuba is facing an uptick in violence, as part of armed robberies of cell phones, motorcycles and even horse-drawn carriages. In most cases, the Police do not provide details on the progress of the investigations or if they capture the culprits.
The disappearance and murder of the doctor Paul Corrales Susi, allegedly to steal his motorcycle in Havana have been reported on social networks and by the independent press since day one, while the official media remained silent. The health professional was last seen alive on Monday of last week and his body was found four days later with signs of violence.
________________________
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 making you a member of our newspaper. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
