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A network of workers from the Santiago de Cuba Cement Factory was caught attempting to divert construction materials to the province of Holguín, allegedly to sell them on the black market.
The event was revealed by the official profile Héroes del Moncada, linked to the Ministry of Interior (MININT), which stated on Facebook that those involved acted with the collaboration of individuals outside the entity.
According to the publication, the group had organized the transfer of the cargo out of the factory with the aim of selling it illegally.
According to the report, the Revolutionary National Police (PNR) and agents from the Technical Investigation Department (DTI) were already tracking the suspects and intercepted them near the town of La República as they were preparing to load the resources onto a truck.
The materials were used and returned to the plant, according to the regime's spokesperson.
The case takes place in a particularly critical context for eastern Cuba. Santiago de Cuba is one of the provinces most affected by Hurricane Melissa, which left thousands of houses collapsed or without roofs, in addition to severe damage to the road infrastructure.
Holguín, where the cargo was intended to be transferred, was also severely affected by the weather phenomenon.
While the regime attempts to present the operation as a demonstration of "police effectiveness," the incident highlights structural corruption, mismanagement, and the diversion of state resources in a country where the scarcity of basic materials prevents thousands of families from rebuilding their homes destroyed by natural disasters and institutional neglect.
Additionally, the case highlights an even more serious problem: the resurgence of the informal market due to the regime's inability to effectively respond to the emergency caused by the hurricane, leaving thousands of families helpless and without resources to rebuild their homes.
The recent attempt to divert materials from the Cement Factory in Santiago de Cuba is not an isolated incident. The economic crisis, supply shortages, and institutional weakening have led to the proliferation of illegal networks operating in various regions of the country.
A similar case involved a clandestine network dedicated to the trafficking of liquefied gas, which operated with impunity in entire neighborhoods, affecting the most vulnerable population and exposing the failures of state control over basic resources.
In the eastern part of the country, insecurity in rural areas has also been on the rise. Four butchers were arrested after spreading terror among farmers and humble families, imposing a kind of parallel law that takes advantage of the power vacuum and institutional neglect.
The use of violence and extortion to obtain agricultural products reinforces the perception of impunity that fuels these practices.
It has also become evident how these networks extend beyond the physical realm. A criminal structure was dismantled for being linked to the diversion of funds through phone top-ups, using false identities and internal connections within state-owned enterprises.
This pattern highlights the systematic nature of economic crimes in Cuba, often with the complicity of officials or state employees.
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