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The National Revolutionary Police (PNR) arrested a man in Santiago de Cuba who was accused of offering cash in exchange for bank transfers with a 20% interest in his favor, according to the official profile Héroes del Moncada on Facebook, linked to the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) in that province.
The arrest took place near the ATM located at Avenida Garzón and Calle 3 de Santa Bárbara, and was witnessed by several people passing through the area.
After a home search, the agents seized approximately 380,000 Cuban pesos (CUP) and items used to carry out the activity.
The MININT publication in Santiago de Cuba frames the arrest as a successful operation against "criminal" activities.
However, the citizens' reaction in the comments on the official publication effectively dismantled that narrative.
Most commentators do not see the detainee as a criminal, but rather as someone who fulfills a need that the State is unable to satisfy.
What Cubans say: the true accused is the system
The most notable comments point directly to the structural crisis of the Cuban financial system as the real cause of the phenomenon.
"They caught the instrument; the big fish is in the bank," wrote a user, in what became one of the most repeated phrases.
"The question is: where was he getting the cash if there is no money in the banks?" posed another commentator, highlighting the central contradiction of the case.
"They caught the one who was solving a problem that the bank is unable to resolve," summarized a third party.
Several users pointed directly to the complicity of bank employees: "What they should investigate is the bank workers who facilitate cash" and "The real business is within the banks; everyone knows where the money comes from."
Others warned that the arrest won't change anything: "Now they've caught the one taking 20%, but in the streets, they're already charging between 30% and 50%" and "The measure doesn't solve the problem; it just removes one person, and another will take their place."
The most direct criticism of the regime was expressed in this comment: "The government creates the conditions for these businesses to emerge and then punishes those who take advantage of them."
The cash crisis that explains it all
The case cannot be understood without the context of the forced banking imposed by the Central Bank of Cuba through Resolution 111 of August 2023, which restricted cash use for businesses and pushed transactions towards digital platforms such as Transfermóvil and Enzona.
The result was the opposite of what was promised: empty ATMs, lines starting at dawn, and withdrawals limited to minimal amounts that do not cover basic expenses. The government itself acknowledged that the ATM network could not meet the demand due to a lack of parts and replacements.
In June 2024, Díaz-Canel blamed the private sector for the cash shortage, attributing it to a supposed "drain effect" from the banks.
In November 2025, Granma acknowledged that the MININT had over a hundred open investigations regarding the retention, accumulation, and illegal resale of cash, with cases involving hundreds of millions of pesos.
In Santiago de Cuba, the Provincial People's Court sentenced three individuals for embezzlement of state funds and forgery of bank documents in April 2026, with sentences of up to 15 years, confirming that corruption within the state financial system is not merely a public perception.
A detention that solves nothing
Many businesses in Cuba continue to refuse transfers, forcing retirees, workers, and families to seek cash in the informal market at any cost.
"Retirees and workers are the most affected because they receive payments on a card and then cannot access their money," noted a commentator.
The conclusion echoed among Cubans is as simple as it is devastating: "The activity exists because there is a real need; if the system worked, no one would pay a percentage for their money."
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