Two minors were caught this Sunday attempting to rob apartments in the José Martí district of Santiago de Cuba.
Journalist Yosmany Mayeta reported on Facebook that residents of several buildings managed to capture the children, and concerned for the safety of the neighborhood and the children themselves, alerted the police.
While waiting for the authorities, the children remained seated at the entrance of one of the buildings.
The authorities arrived at the scene and, despite the young age of the minors, proceeded to transport them in a patrol car to initiate the relevant investigations and ensure their protection.
This fact has raised questions within the community, particularly regarding the children's family situation, with many neighbors questioning the absence of their parents, Mayeta noted.
In a second post, the journalist reported that these two children were caught trying to force open the door of an apartment in the R-16 building in the José Martí District of Santiago de Cuba.
"The boys were locking the door of the apartment, as the oldest had warned them that the people wouldn't be home today. The neighbors quickly heard the noise and came out," recalled a resident of the building.
The woman added that the neighbors, upon noticing the incident, quickly called the police, and she added: "They are now investigating and the boys were taken away."
Another neighbor from the area wrote to journalist Mayeta to report what had happened, stating: “The children were inside the house and were captured by the neighbors,” and noted that there was a third child, the oldest, who managed to escape.
The economic crisis in Cuba is leading to worrying scenes, such as a rise in crime in general and the sight of children working in the streets to support their families’ finances.
In June, the state-run media in Santiago de Cuba acknowledged the existence of child labor cases in the province, a problem that reflects the complexity of the current socioeconomic context.
Although the law prohibits child labor and protects minors' rights, some educational institutions in Santiago de Cuba, such as IPU-Cuqui Bosch and Secundaria Básica Espino Fernández, have identified cases of child labor within their communities.
The Cuban regime admitted in August the growing issue of children and adolescents working in Cienfuegos, but wholly blamed the families, evading its responsibility in the social and economic crisis affecting the country.
The official newspaper 5 de Septiembre quoted Lieutenant Colonel Marilín Cuellar Valdivia, Head of the Minors' Division of the Ministry of the Interior in Cienfuegos, who did not hesitate to condemn the families of these children and adolescents, asserting that "in most cases, it is an activity incited by the adult family members themselves, or at least allowed by them."
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