A recent study by the Cuban Citizen Audit Observatory (OCAC) on public insecurity in Cuba revealed an alarming increase in crime levels on the island during 2024, with an average of 2.37 crimes per day.
The reports published by the OCAC and cited by the media outlet Cuba Siglo XXI indicate that, although there were no previous data, by 2023 crime - violent robberies, murders, homicides, or any other manifestation of violent crime - began to be perceived as a serious problem in the country.
In the first six months of 2024, from January to June, 432 crimes were recorded, which corresponds to a daily average of 2.37 crimes.
This represents an increase of 152% compared to the same period last year, when the average was 1.82 crimes per day.
The analysis highlights a worrying increase in violent crimes in 2024, with a 111% rise in homicides, a 290% increase in assaults, and a 208% rise in robberies, just in the first half of the year.
The provinces with the most reports are Havana (146), Villa Clara (80), Santiago de Cuba (63), Holguín (40), and Guantánamo (28).
The figures are high considering that in 2023 a total of 649 crimes were reported in 12 months, of which 265 were robberies, and 199 people were murdered in 197 different incidents, while 124 people suffered assaults.
These figures, the report explains, are based on meticulous monitoring of reports and statements on social media and both state and independent media.
Due to the lack of transparency in public information, it is presumed that the actual figures could be even higher, similar to what happened with the data on femicides, where the official figure exceeded that recorded by independent organizations.
Additionally, reports indicate an increase in corruption, youth gangs, and drug consumption, linking these trends to the emergence of more widespread organized crime associated with the illegal activities of a new mafia oligarchy and its connection to other actors in transnational crime such as Venezuela.
The OCAC also mentions specific incidents such as those that occurred at the Finca de los Monos in Havana, which highlighted the growing problem of gang activity in Cuba.
Since the beginning of 2024, the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) in Santiago de Cuba had already recognized the existence of criminal gangs dedicated to "implementing terror" among citizens. Recently, the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel also confirmed the increase in violence and insecurity in the country.
The observatory attributes the increase in crime to factors such as the depopulation and deprofessionalization of the police, changes in social and cultural values, and a growing perception of impunity and corruption within the Cuban judicial system.
In its conclusions, the report criticizes that the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and the MININT attempt to minimize the perception of insecurity by creating a "parallel virtual reality" that ultimately puts the population at even greater risk.
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