Nine quintals of beans and four of rice: individuals involved in a robbery in Sancti Spíritus detained

More than 1,300 kilograms of rice and beans were stolen in Sancti Spíritus, in a context marked by food shortages in Cuba.

According to information provided by local media, the police clarified the theft of nine quintals of beans and four of rice that were taken from the warehouses of the Uruguay Agro-Industrial Complex (CAI) in the municipality of Jatibonico. The food was intended for vital centers in the area and for the cafeteria of the entity itself, the PNR specified, as cited by the Cuban News Agency.

The note, shared on the official profile Héroes de azul en Cuba, presents the incident as a police success, but unintentionally reveals the depth of the crisis: that 900 kilograms of beans and 400 of rice —a total of 1,300 kilograms of basic food— is a sufficient reason for a theft that has led to a legal process illustrates the value that these products have acquired in Cuba.

In the informal market, beans are sold at 285 Cuban pesos per pound, while through regulated distribution they are distributed at 280 CUP per pound through the ration book.

This type of food theft is not an isolated incident in Cuba. Recently, 110 boxes of imported chicken were stolen in Placetas, and previously, a truck with ground beef was looted in Santiago de Cuba, highlighting a pattern of food thefts occurring in various provinces across the country.

The context of scarcity worsens due to Cuba's reliance on external aid and imports. China sent 15,000 tons of rice in March 2026 and Mexico donated over 800 tons of rice and beans to the Cuban population. However, some of these products have ended up in the black market: citizen reports highlight the illegal sale of Guacira Brazilian rice and La Merced Mexican beans at speculative prices.

"The swift action of the police forces allowed for the identification of those responsible and the recovery of all the stolen products," stated the official note, presenting the case as a demonstration of institutional efficiency in light of what, in reality, reflects the food desperation that the island is facing.