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An intentional fire affected the recruitment office of the Municipal Military Committee in Contramaestre, in the province of Santiago de Cuba, on Friday night. This incident once again highlights the growing discontent among the population regarding Mandatory Military Service (MMS).
Three residents in the area confirmed to Martí Noticias that unidentified individuals set fire to the interior of the facility located on 13th Street in the Lumumba neighborhood.
The incident prompted a strong mobilization of State Security and the Revolutionary National Police in the municipality.
A neighbor who lives nearby reported that security forces had been deployed in the area since early Saturday morning.
According to his testimony, someone allegedly threw a lit bottle through a shutter of the establishment, causing the interior of the office to catch fire.
Another source cited under condition of anonymity claimed that the agents used tracking dogs to search for traces in the area and that several young people were picked up by the authorities after being indicated by the animals.
The detainees would remain in custody while the investigations continue, although authorities have not officially confirmed these arrests, the source added.
Images circulated on social media show damage to the facility and suggest that the fire may have destroyed documents related to the recruitment of youth for the SMO.
The event occurs amidst growing criticism of the conscription system in Cuba. In recent years, families, activists, and citizens have complained about the precarious conditions in many military units, the lack of resources, and the limited transparency regarding incidents that occur during the performance of service.
“Mothers do not want their children to go through mandatory military service because they say it prepares them for war,” stated a resident identified as Mercedes Aguilar, who also claimed that there was talk in the neighborhood about the possible detention of several young people following the fire.
The Cuban government, for its part, continues to uphold its defense of the Military Service Obligation (SMO) as an essential part of national defense, despite the increasing social criticism it generates.
The episode occurs within a context of social tension in various regions of the country. On March 13, in Morón, Ciego de Ávila, protesters set fire to the municipal headquarters of the Communist Party during demonstrations against blackouts, amidst reports of police gunfire that left at least one young person injured.
In recent weeks, there have also been pot-banging and nighttime protests in neighborhoods of Havana, including the burning of trash bins and collection tanks, through which citizens express their dissatisfaction with the prolonged power outages and the deteriorating living conditions, reflecting an increasingly visible social discontent on the island.
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