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A man was arrested this Friday in Abel Santamaría Park, in Santiago de Cuba, after attempting to snatch the mobile phone from an officer of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) who was present at the site in civilian clothes.
According to eyewitness accounts gathered by independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, the individual approached the soldier and attempted to take the device, but the response was immediate.
"In a matter of seconds, the man was subdued and immobilized in plain sight, in front of several people who were present in the park," clarified Mayeta on his Facebook page.
This incident adds to a series of criminal events that have shaken Santiago de Cuba in recent months. Recently, a private daycare was completely looted, in a case that generated outrage among the city’s residents.
Before that incident, criminals stabbed a security guard during a robbery at the Tropicana Santiago premises, highlighting the level of violence that accompanies these acts.
The slowness of the police response has also been criticized. In a documented case, the PNR took 37 minutes to arrive at the scene, while the neighbors themselves were holding the suspect.
Mobile phone snatchings have become one of the most common crimes in the province. In August 2025, another individual was apprehended in broad daylight after being caught snatching a device, in a case similar to the one reported this Friday.
Just weeks later, in September of the same year, neighbors captured a young man for a similar incident, demonstrating that citizens have begun to take action in response to the perception of impunity.
Cuban authorities have, in some cases, responded with severe penalties. A court
The overall situation of insecurity in Cuba is alarming according to human rights organizations. Cubalex recorded 53 security incidents just in February of 2026, a figure that reflects the ongoing deterioration of public order in the country.
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