A young man nicknamed «the Squirrel» was caught stealing an armchair from the living room of a Cuban woman, and his reaction when confronted —tremors, rapid and incoherent speech, complete disorientation— has shocked thousands of users on social media.
The video published on Facebook by the user identified as "Susana Guerrera" has accumulated over 303,000 views and has sparked a debate about the addiction crisis and the insecurity that exists in Cuba.
«We caught him stealing an armchair in my living room. His name is the Squirrel, and the one in charge is a guy called Russian. He has robbed in the neighborhood several times; they arrest him and then let him go,» reported Susana Guerrera in the text that accompanies the 26-second clip.
In the images, those present can be heard interrogating the young man: “Who sent you?”
The response comes out in murmurs: “With the Russian... the one who lives at 84.” The boy also admits to having stolen before and having sold another chair, although his words are almost incomprehensible due to his visible agitation.
Most commentators agreed that the young man was under the influence of "the chemical," the synthetic cannabinoid that afflicts Cuban youth with a potency 50 to 100 times greater than that of marijuana, mixed with fentanyl and other substances, and sold for just 250 Cuban pesos.
"Poor thing, he looks unwell; that chemical has made the youth in this country lose their way," wrote a user.
"My God, don't they realize that he's completely high? He doesn't even know who the Russian is," added another.
Several pointed to the pattern of "steal to consume" as the driving force behind cases like this.
But the outrage was not directed solely at the young man. The figure of the "Russian" concentrated a good portion of the public's anger.
"The problem is not this boy himself, the big problem is that 'Russian'," wrote a commentator.
"That's an instrument of someone who takes advantage of their situation to buy stolen goods cheaply," pointed out another. Several users requested that the authorities investigate that intermediary, whom some also identify as a possible drug supplier.
The perception of police impunity was also subject to criticism.
This pattern -stop and release- is a recurring complaint across the island, exacerbated by the desertion of 20% of the police force in the past year, which has left entire neighborhoods without coverage.
The video is set against a backdrop of unprecedented insecurity.
In April, neighbors in Havana captured an alleged thief due to police inaction, and similar incidents were reported in Guantánamo and Santiago de Cuba. Also this month, a young man under the influence of a chemical was detained after breaking into a home.
According to the Cuban Citizen Audit Observatory (OCAC), in 2025, there were 2,833 verified crimes recorded in Cuba, an increase of 115% compared to 2024 and 337% compared to 2023.
Theft was the predominant crime, with 1,536 cases, an increase of 479% since 2023. The alarming increase in crime in Cuba coincides with a cumulative economic contraction of 15% since 2020, pushing more young people toward marginalization and addiction.
"There are too many chemicals, the youth is lost," summarized a user.
"I see many people laughing and they don't really understand the seriousness of the problem," another warned. "Crime has escalated to levels that no one imagined."
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