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A violent tumultuous fight shook the surroundings of La Barca de Oro in the José Martí district of Santiago de Cuba this Saturday afternoon, resulting in a man being injured and urgently transported to a hospital in the city.
The report was published by the independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada on his Facebook page, where he collects testimonies from witnesses of the incident.
According to those testimonies, the individuals involved allegedly drew machetes to attack the victim. The exact causes that triggered the altercation are still unknown at this time.
Among those involved are individuals from different neighborhoods, including San Pedrito and the apartments known as Vicoa. The incident would also involve the son of the owner of a local guarapera.
The scale of the police operation caught the attention of the neighbors: several patrols, ambulances, and police personnel, including black berets in larger vehicles, arrived at the scene, creating alarm among the residents of the area.
The black berets are members of the National Special Brigade (BEN) of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT), an elite unit trained to suppress protests and antisocial activities, identifiable by their black uniform. Their presence during an operation for a street fight is unusual and reflects the scale of the deployment.
The neighborhood San Pedrito, mentioned as the origin of some of those involved, is historically one of the most troubled in Santiago de Cuba, with the presence of gangs and rivalries with other neighborhoods in the city.
La Barca de Oro also has a recent history of social tension. In May 2024, the government militarized the neighborhood and other areas of Santiago in Cuba following protests over blackouts and food shortages. In March 2025, it was once again the scene of pot-banging protests against the regime, with a police response that included black berets.
The incident occurs in the context of a sustained escalation of violence in the province. Just last Friday, residents of Santiago de Cuba captured a thief armed with a machete in Veguita de Galo, in the absence of police. Cubalex recorded 53 security events just in February 2026 in the city.
According to data from the Cuban Citizen Audit Observatory (OCAC), Santiago de Cuba ranks fourth nationally in verified crimes, with 323 cases in 2025, out of a total of 2,833 in all of Cuba, a figure that represents a 115% increase compared to 2024.
Mayeta Labrada stated that her page will continue to seek details about the incident: "Our page will keep looking for details about this incident and the health status of the injured person."
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