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The announced that in the coming days trials will be held against several citizens accused of committing "vandalistic acts" following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, in a new demonstration of the punitive use of justice by the Cuban regime in response to social crises.
According to statements from the chief prosecutor of the territory, Maritza Paredes Pera, 15 criminal proceedings have been initiated, and most of those involved are facing precautionary measures of provisional detention.
The official explained that eight of these cases have already been presented to the Provincial People's Tribunal and that the Prosecutor's Office has requested the application of aggravating circumstances outlined in Article 80.1, paragraph D, of the Penal Code, which increases the penalties for crimes committed during disasters or public calamities.
Paredes Pera stated that the accused had allegedly stolen tiles, electrical wires, appliances, and food amidst the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, which worsened the already critical economic situation in the country.
The official discourse insists that these acts "hinder recovery" and "complicate assistance to the affected," while avoiding acknowledgment of the root causes that drive many Cubans to try to survive amidst shortages and widespread misery.
While the Prosecutor's Office emphasizes its "rigor in enforcement" and its role in the "preservation of socialist legality," human rights organizations and citizens on social media are denouncing that these types of processes are used to serve as examples and deter any expression of discontent, even when it stems from the desperation of a population without resources, housing, and real support from the State.
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