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The recent escape of two dangerous prisoners from the provincial prison in Ciego de Ávila, known as Canaleta, has revealed an even more disturbing detail: one of them, Idalberto Pérez Olivera, known as "Basurita", had previously managed to escape earlier this year and was captured under similar circumstances.
According to a post on Facebook from the community group Avileños de Corazón, dated January 29, Pérez Olivera was arrested that day in the Grúa Nueva batey, in the Primero de Enero municipality, following several days of tension in the neighborhood.
Armed with a homemade firearm, he threatened the neighbors to hand over food and beverages.
He was finally subdued by the Special Brigade and taken to prison.
The note then celebrated the return of tranquility to the neighborhood, although it did not specify how long he had been on the run or how he managed to evade prison custody on that occasion.
Now, just months later, Basurita is once again the protagonist of fear in Ciego de Ávila.
The 27-year-old individual, sentenced to 16 years and six months for murder, robbery with violence, assault, and illegal possession of firearms, escaped again on August 24, this time along with another inmate: Ángel Luis Torres Santana, 54 years old, a repeat offender sentenced to 28 years for murder, threats, contempt, and escape.
Both were classified as extremely dangerous, prompting the authorities to issue an official alert and urge public cooperation.
The escape has raised social alarm not only due to the violent history of the fugitives but also because of what it reveals about the deficiencies in the Cuban prison system.
Photographs and criminal records of the two escapees circulated on social media and alternative media outlets like La Tijera, generating strong criticism of the lack of control in a maximum-security prison.
The other escaped individual, Torres Santana, is reported to have been seen a few hours after the escape at a paladar in the municipality of Campechuela, in the province of Granma.
According to witnesses, he arrived without a shirt, nervously asked for food, and pretended to be stuttering. The owner of the establishment, suspicious, kicked him out. Later, while reviewing the security footage, he noticed the resemblance to the images circulated on social media.
Despite immediately notifying the National Revolutionary Police, the initial response was negligent: they barely took note and said they would "call the chief."
The Ministry of the Interior reminded the public not to attempt to confront the fugitives and set up phone lines to provide information.
However, the perception of insecurity is growing among the residents of Ciego de Ávila. This situation is compounded by recent episodes of violence and unpunished crimes in Cuba, fueling the belief that public safety is experiencing a significant decline.
The case has also sparked a social debate.
Some relatives of the inmates, such as Yulita González -the mother of Basurita's daughter-, have expressed outrage at the widespread dissemination of the alerts, claiming that the way these news are presented impacts their loved ones.
For her, "people have families and children who can be affected by their news," a perspective that contrasts with the fears of the neighbors who have had to deal directly with the threats from the fugitive.
The repeated escapes of Basurita raise an even bigger question: how is it possible for an inmate with such a violent and escape-prone history to have outsmarted the security of the prison more than once in less than a year?
Meanwhile, the fugitives remain at large and have highlighted the deep cracks in a prison system that, according to many, is incapable of ensuring either public safety or control of its own inmates.
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