Crime continues to rise in Cuba, with Matanzas, Santiago, Havana, and Holguín being the provinces with the highest reported criminal activities last year. During 2024, the crimes registered through reports on social media and news outlets, compiled by the Cuban Citizen Audit Observatory (OCAC), increased by 50.72% compared to 2023.

The OCAC annual report shows a 232% increase in thefts in 2024 compared to the previous year; assaults have risen by 97.1%, and other crimes have increased by 273.3%. This results in an average of 3.6 crimes per day, compared to nearly two crimes per day a year earlier.

However, this situation escalated in the second half of the year, monitored by the OCAC, which clarifies that it only concerns reported crimes, suggesting that we could be seeing just the tip of the iceberg.

In this way, during the second semester of 2024, thoroughly analyzed in the report, there were 885 crimes reported, averaging almost 5 crimes per day—4.83 exactly—over the 183 days of the semester. December had the highest number of reports with 230, followed by November (214), October (148), July (134), September (99), and August (60). Additionally, there were 76 homicides, 620 robberies, 54 assaults, 36 aggressions, and 99 offenses classified under the category "Other," which includes drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms, vandalism, among others.

The most common thefts involve the sacrifice of livestock and the theft of vehicles, especially mopeds. And murders, including multiple crimes such as the Ceballos massacre, the family dismembered in Villa Clara and the three people murdered in Centro Habana.

Matanzas: The Capital of Theft

Matanzas has become the province with the highest number of reported thefts in the country, reaching 172 incidents in the second half of 2024. The situation has escalated to the point that in November 2024, the official journalist Yirmara Torres publicly expressed her fear as she no longer felt safe even within her own home and criticized the inaction of the Police.

In Matanzas, 11 homicides, 9 assaults, 11 aggressions, and 26 crimes classified as "other" (vandalism, drug trafficking, etc.) were reported in just the second semester of the year

Santiago de Cuba: the most violent region

Santiago de Cuba tops the list of murders with 17 reported cases in the second half of 2024. It was also the province with the highest number of assaults, recording 11 incidents. In crimes classified as 'Others', the province had 15 cases. In assaults, Santiago also leads the statistics, along with Matanzas, both having documented 11 cases between July and December.

Havana: the province with the most assaults

Havana recorded 11 murders in the second half of 2024. It was also the province with the highest number of assaults, with 24 reported incidents. In terms of thefts, the capital documented 155 cases, ranking among the regions with the highest number of burglaries and looting. Throughout the entire year of 2024, there were 155 thefts, 42 assaults, and 11 murders reported.

Holguín: 85 robberies and 7 murders

Holguín recorded 85 robberies in the second half of 2024, making it the third province with the highest number of incidents of this type. It also reported 7 homicides, ranking behind Santiago de Cuba and Havana. In crimes classified as 'Others', the province registered 18 cases. Furthermore, it is the second with the most crimes categorized as "Others" — which include drug trafficking, vandalism, and illegal possession of firearms — with 19 cases in the semester.

1,317 reported crimes

The annual report from OCAC concludes that in Cuba, a total of 1,317 crimes were reported in 2024. The number of individuals involved in these crimes reached 1,632, an increase of 687 compared to the previous year. Of the total offenders, 96% were men and 58% acted alone.

Despite the regime's efforts to downplay the situation and maintain a narrative of control, the facts indicate otherwise. The Ministry of the Interior has intensified its propaganda about supposed successful operations against crime, while the perception of insecurity continues to rise. On December 29, 2024, the regime acknowledged that 'the crime record remains high', although it insisted on a supposed 'trend towards reduction' and a decline in crimes related to livestock.

Additionally, contrary to the official narrative, on January 28, 2024, the Ministry of the Interior acknowledged the presence of criminal gangs in Santiago de Cuba that 'implement terror.' Meanwhile, on January 14, drivers reported thefts again on the National Highway of Cuba.

This deterioration of security on the Island affects Cuba's image as a tourist destination. Governments such as that of Canada have issued travel alerts due to high levels of crime, and this has been reflected in the drop in revenue in the tourism sector. Cuba received a total of 2.2 million international tourists in 2024, which represents a decrease of 9.6% compared to the previous year and the lowest figure in two decades.