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A man was arrested in the locality of Veguitas, in the municipality of Yara, in Granma, for digging up five steel bars from the road infrastructure, causing significant damage to the public roadway and endangering the safety of drivers and pedestrians, according to an official source.
The authorities described the incident as an act of vandalism and theft that "outraged the community." According to the note published on the Facebook profile "Entérate con Aytana Alama", managed by the Ministry of the Interior (Minint), the individual acted "without scruples or a sense of civic duty" by removing the metal reinforcements directly from the roadway.
According to official information, the Revolutionary National Police intervened quickly and placed the detainee under investigation. The text did not provide details about the identity of the arrested individual or the intended destination for the stolen materials.
The tone of the official report is decidedly admonitory: it describes the detainee as a "scoundrel" who "violates the road for personal gain" and warns that "the law will come down with all its weight on those who attempt to destroy what has been built with so much effort."
This case is part of a growing pattern of thefts involving construction materials and infrastructure components across the country. In July 2025, an individual was arrested in Bayamo, also in the province of Granma, for sabotaging the railway just before a convoy passed, in an act that could have resulted in tragedy.
In May of that year, the police apprehended another man who was caught while stealing railway sleepers in the municipality of Mella, in Santiago de Cuba, jeopardizing transportation safety. A month earlier, a man was also discovered attempting to steal rebar from the railway structure in Arroyo Naranjo, Havana.
The theft of metals from public infrastructure is largely due to the economic crisis the country is experiencing and the booming black market for construction materials.
In response to the escalation of such incidents nationwide, the People's Supreme Court issued Opinion 475 in May 2025, which toughened penalties for crimes against strategic infrastructures in sectors such as railways, public transport, the electrical system, and telecommunications, classifying them as sabotage under Article 125 of the Penal Code.
The ruling also mandates expedited judicial treatment, exemplary trials, and extensive media coverage of the proceedings.
In the midst of the acute energy crisis, the regime is implementing drastic measures in response to the increasing criminal actions that impact the national electrical system, such as vandalism and theft of fuel, dielectric oil, components, parts, and other resources from the electrical grid, photovoltaic parks, solar panels, and generators.
The sanctions outlined in Opinion 475 include penalties ranging from seven to 30 years in prison, life imprisonment, or even the death penalty in severe cases, if there is a danger to human lives, if minors are involved, or if the act is committed during nighttime. Additionally, other punitive measures such as confiscation of property and a ban on leaving the country are also included.
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