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The night of Sunday, May 11, Mother's Day, turned tragic in the El Naranjal neighborhood in Matanzas following the brutal murder of Leobel, a young father, who was fatally stabbed while attempting to buy beers at the neighborhood DITU as part of the family celebration for this special date.
According to multiple testimonies shared on social media, Leobel (whose last names are not published), described by acquaintances as a hardworking, calm, studious, and exemplary man, was attacked without warning by an individual completely intoxicated with chemical substances that are increasingly circulating on the streets of Cuba.
The victim died instantly after being stabbed multiple times. His partner, who is pregnant, was also injured while trying to intervene and remains hospitalized with the risk of miscarriage.
The alleged attacker, identified as Yasmani Benítez Tejera, was subsequently arrested. Various sources report that he had a long criminal record for assaults, threats, and violent robberies, which has sparked outrage among neighbors and family members of the victim, who question how someone with such a background could be free and unsupervised.
This tragic event has sparked a wave of public outrage. Numerous users on social media have expressed their pain, frustration, and helplessness in the face of rising insecurity, the lack of nighttime surveillance, and the proliferation of synthetic drugs —referred to as “el químico”— which are causing an alarming increase in violent incidents across the country.
"Today it was Leobel, tomorrow it could be anyone," expressed a relative, who also demanded urgent measures to curb this situation that is draining the communities.
The lack of street lighting due to constant blackouts and the limited police presence at night have been identified as factors that increase the vulnerability of citizens. “There is no surveillance until a pot is banging,” lamented a neighbor, highlighting the priorities of the authorities, who seem more focused on protest demonstrations than on the safety of residents.
The family of Leobel demands justice, but also a thorough review of the system that allows individuals with prior records to reoffend without proportional consequences. The community of El Naranjal is calling for real actions to stop the wave of violence and that the circulation of these drugs is curtailed which, mixed with alcohol, are claiming innocent lives.
Meanwhile, Matanzas mourns one of its sons, killed on a night that was meant to be a celebration.
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