The Provincial Court of Holguín sentenced three of four Cubans involved in the murder of a guard at the Mayarí Industrial Forestry Economic Unit to life imprisonment, who caught the criminals in the act while they were trying to steal batteries from several state vehicles.
One involved party was sentenced to 30 years of deprivation of liberty.
A report by the National Television News (NTV) identified the victim as Orlando Pérez Ardevel, 49 years old.
According to official information, the murder occurred in the area known as Entronque Ocujal - about 25 kilometers from Mayarí - when the individuals attempted to steal the batteries from several vehicles belonging to the aforementioned state entity, and the security agent caught them in the act.
The official press report -which did not specify when the murder took place- boasted and indicated that in less than 48 hours, those responsible for the murder were identified and arrested "thanks to the unwavering support of the people and the meticulous work of the Ministry of the Interior."
The report dedicated several minutes to praising the police work and the investigative techniques applied, including a canine search that led to the discovery of an animal-drawn vehicle used in the crime.
Other forensic techniques used included odor traces, chemical, and biological traces, which proved fundamental in the investigation, as emphasized by the official source.
Mildrey Rodríguez Aguilera, the prosecutor of the case, indicated that this was “an incident that had a high social connotation,” and for that reason, the heaviest penalties provided for by the Penal Code were requested.
A relative of the victim expressed satisfaction with the resolution of the case.
"I, and the whole family, feel very grateful for the collaboration of the people and the police," said on camera Osnel Ortiz Pérez, nephew of the victim.
Although in recent years a growing number of Cubans have called for the death penalty for those responsible for ruthless murders, the death penalty on the island - while still in effect - has not been applied since 2003.
Despite being in effect in the legislation, the Cuban government has maintained a de facto moratorium on the application of the death penalty since 2003, when three young men accused of hijacking a boat to divert it to the U.S. were executed, which generated significant international controversy.
Since then, death sentences in Cuba have been commuted to prison terms that include life imprisonment, and no executions have been recorded. The moratorium, however, has not been formally converted into an abolition of the death penalty, so it remains a legal possibility.
In fact, after the approval of the new Penal Code in 2022, the number of crimes punishable by the death penalty in Cuba rose to 24. However, most of them have a marked political character, many of which are linked to various forms of terrorism and crimes related to state security.
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