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A shift manager and a security agent from the Fuel Marketing Company of Matanzas were caught in the act after stealing 25 liters of gasoline, according to a source linked to the Ministry of the Interior (Minint).
The Facebook profile “Con Todos La Victoria” reported that during an overnight shift, two workers from the UEB Fuel Marketing in Matanzas, Terminal 320, were caught after they had already stolen gasoline from one of the CUPET tanks and had it packaged in plastic bags.
The source identified those involved as Marcial Rudelay Cancino Ochoterena and Ernesto Mesa Méndez.
The publication deemed the act "completely shameful" and argued that the mission of both was precisely to protect the resources allocated for the economy and the well-being of the population. It also noted that the workers would have to answer for their actions before the law.
The news has generated divided opinions among the followers of the profile. Many condemned the actions of the workers, which they attributed to a lack of principles and the increasing loss of moral values in Cuban society; at the same time, they supported the imposition of strict sanctions against those who steal state property.
However, numerous individuals justified the incident as a direct result of the fuel crisis in the country, asserting that if the State paid its employees wages that allowed them to meet their basic needs, such incidents would not occur.
Others questioned whether the inflexibility is solely directed towards workers who commit offenses, while the police does not act with the same firmness against acts of corruption and theft by state enterprise leaders and high-level authorities.
"Those who are paid to protect are often the same ones who steal; it's almost identical to many officials and state leaders at any level, whom the people, with their hard work, pay salaries, fuel, and cars, to resolve or try to resolve societal issues, yet they do nothing," reasoned one user.
Recently, the Unión Cuba-Petróleto (CUPET) acknowledged on state television that fuel thefts originate in the storage depots themselves, from where the product is distributed to the tank trucks responsible for supplying gas stations.
The director of the CUPET Fuel Marketing Company, Yarianna Guerra, revealed on the television program “Hacemos Cuba” that, in a single day, the losses from this type of theft can range between 20,000 and 30,000 liters of fuel, depending on the volume being handled and the storage capacity of the tanks.
He admitted that in these operations officials and employees of state entities are involved, such as tanker truck operators, brigade leaders, custodians, and some executives, and stated that the company has implemented disciplinary measures against those responsible, such as permanent separations from their positions and dismissals in various territories.
According to the Minint, between January and August 2025 350,000 liters of stolen fuel were recovered in storage bases, refineries, power generators, and service stations across the country.
The Prosecutor's Office warned that fuel theft can be classified as a act of sabotage, punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
Through its official communication channels, the Cuban government seeks to take a hard stance against theft and other crimes.
However, the population criticizes the authorities for not addressing the structural causes of the rise in criminal activity: widespread shortages and the inability to ensure a stable supply of essential goods; low wages and pensions, and rampant inflation.
Many Cubans demand strong sanctions against criminals, but they also question the inefficiency of the police, which fails to curb both thefts and violent acts that impact the community.
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