SAN LUIS POTOSÍ, Mexico.- A band A criminal gang made up of young people and popularly called “los Trasnochadores” (the Night owls), has spread terror in the streets of the Havana municipality of Cerro, where they beat people, mainly the elderly, in the early morning.
Victims of gang attacks, interviewed by CubaNetThey said that “Los Trasnochadores” systematically exercise violence.
The Cubans who gave their testimony, some of them homeless and street vendors, and others dedicated to collecting raw materials, who leave their homes in the early hours of the morning, are exposed to attacks by young people.
“They kick you, they punch you, they hit you with sticks and stones and they don’t steal anything from you, they don’t steal anything from you, they just beat you up, four in the morning, so that people don’t go to work,” said one of the interviewees.
The gang travels around on skateboards and attacks the most vulnerable with kicks and slaps.
An elderly man said that his right eye and ear are still in pain from the kick he received. “They attack the elderly for fun, after they smoke all that and the police do nothing.”
The victims said that behind this violence is the consumption of drugs such as “chemical”, which would make them euphoric.
The Ministry of the Interior of Cuba (MININT) has previously acknowledged the existence of criminal gangs in other parts of the country, although they tend to remain silent when it comes to the Cuban capital.
Referring to one of the gangs operating in Santiago de Cuba, Cuban agents said their objective is “implement terror” among the inhabitants.
This was admitted by Cuban agents at a meeting held in the Abel Santamaría neighborhood, popularly known as “El Sala’o.” According to the regime’s repressors at the meeting, members of the bands They carry knives and frighten citizens.
In the first six months of 2024, the country has seen an “alarming” rise in crime rates, according to a recent report published by the Observatory Cuban Citizen Audit Office (OCAC).
The document, which offers a detailed analysis of the public insecurity situation on the island, highlights that 432 crimes were recorded throughout the country during this period, which represents an average of 2.37 crimes per day and 33.56% more than in the same period of the previous year.
The report breaks down crimes committed between January and June 2024, with increases in almost every category. There were 91 reported murders, 260 robberies, 39 assaults, and 29 assaults. These numbers represent a 111% increase in murders, 290% in assaults, and 208% in robberies compared to the first half of 2023.
As for geographical distribution, Havana and Santiago de Cuba were the provinces with the highest incidence of crime, especially murders and robberies. Specifically, Havana recorded 96 robberies, while Santiago de Cuba and Holguín stood out for their high rates of violence, with 21 murders each.
Organized crime, particularly among youth gangs, is gaining ground in several provinces of the country. The report documents incidents of gang violence in Santiago de Cuba and Havana.
