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Cuban government authorities denied that there have been child abductions in schools in the municipality of Cárdenas, in Matanzas, local state media reported this Thursday.
“Cárdenas does not have any kidnapped children nor any attempts of this abominable action,” stated emphatically a message circulated on social media by the municipal telecenter Telebandera, in response to “false information” that “has spread” in recent hours regarding “several attempts of child kidnappings.”
The ministries of the Interior (Minint) and Education (Mined) in the municipality of Cárdenas denied that such incidents and reports have been registered, according to the publication.
“Finally, it is reported that the events took place in primary and secondary schools in the area. Some reports mention the Cantel Primary School, Boca de Camarioca, the José Martí Secondary School, or the educational complex,” the note stated.
Telebandera stated that, according to the Education Department in the area, "there are no incidents of this nature in any of the 61 centers available in the municipality."
He also stated that, "so far," neither of the two units of the Ministry of the Interior in the municipality, located in the cities of Cárdenas and Varadero, "has received any complaints regarding such incidents."
The denial referred to the information as a “nasty rumor” that “has undeniably resonated with the public” and acknowledged that “an atmosphere of fear has been created among many parents; in this regard, the saddest part is that some teachers have echoed the rumor and are warning families about the supposed danger of kidnapping.”
The state television channel in Cárdenas emphasized that political, governmental, and MININT authorities reiterate that schools "are and will continue to be safe centers, and anyone attempting to commit such an act will face the full force of the law."
The note concludes with the ruling party's slogan that "in Cuba, their children are sacred."
Officials of the regime and state journalists have also published denials on their social media profiles, reiterating that these are "rumors" that have been spread "with the aim of instilling fear in the population."
"We inform you that there is no evidence of any incident of this kind in Cárdenas or anywhere else. We urge our entire population not to be misled, to remain calm, and to stay informed through official sources to always know the truth and 'only the truth,' for that never betrays," warned Eduardo López Leyva, an official from the Analysis Office of the Central Committee of the PCC.
However, in the comments on the posts of Telebandera and the newspaper Girón, residents in Cárdenas questioned the accuracy of the official information and reported the lack of security in the schools of the municipality.
"???Safety in schools??? How is it that 18-year-olds are entering middle schools drunk, fighting with middle school kids, who are obviously younger than they are, and getting involved with the girls? I'm not speaking just to speak; I'm saying this because I experienced a situation like that. In any case, I don't know if the reports of kidnapped children are true or not, but there is no safety in schools, and in fact, there is no security in the city at all,” stated a young woman from Cárdenas.
Although the information spread by the government denies it, many people continue to assert in Facebook group posts that cases of kidnappings of minors, or attempts thereof, have indeed been reported in several locations in the province of Matanzas, presumably to steal their belongings and cell phones.
They have also referred to the two girls reported missing since January 13, in the city of Cárdenas. The adolescents have been identified as Melanie Rodríguez González, 13 years old, and Yoandriane Díaz García, 14.
Melanie was last seen at the José Martí School in that city, while Yoandriane left her house carrying a backpack with clothes. Their families have requested help to find them.
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