Related videos:
Vladimir Palma, a bicycle taxi driver from Bayamo, Granma province, reported this Saturday on Facebook that during the early morning hours, his bicycle taxi's tires were stolen, the only means he has to support his blind mother.
"Early this morning, my bike tires were just stolen... whoever took the tires or those who brought the tires are in the hands of God," Palma wrote on his profile.
In his post, the man emphasized the human cost of the theft: "They didn't have to do this with the work I did to support my mother, who is blind, and they took away everything I had."
"This was our livelihood at home," he added, describing the situation with a phrase that encapsulates the precariousness faced by thousands of informal workers in Cuba.
Palma also shared an image of the parked vehicle, without the stolen tires, accompanied by the message: "This is how they've left me with the bixi, it's not easy because they did this, I don’t harm anyone, I just work to support my mother who is blind."
The bike taxi driver did not publicly identify the perpetrators of the robbery nor mentioned having filed a report with the police.
In a second post, Palma chose a religious response instead of resentment: "To those who did this, I say that I am praying a lot for them, that God touches their hearts and that they turn from their wicked ways and come to the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ."
He also expressed gratitude for the support received: "I thank all those individuals, friends, family, who in one way or another are supporting me."
The case illustrates the extreme vulnerability of informal workers in Cuba, where the bicitaxi has become one of the few income alternatives in the face of the collapse of state public transportation and fuel shortages.
Bayamo has a serious history of such events. In September 2025, a bicitaxero was murdered in that same city after being beaten in an attempt to steal his vehicle and belongings in the Latinoamericano neighborhood; the culprits were subsequently apprehended.
Citizen insecurity in Cuba continues to grow. The Cuban Observatory for Citizen Auditing recorded 2,833 verified crimes in 2025, an increase of 115% compared to 2024 and 337% compared to 2023, with theft being the most frequent category at 1,536 documented cases.
The elderly and informal workers are now frequent targets of this wave of crime, which in June 2026 also included the theft of three million pesos intended for retirees in Cuba.
Obtaining spare tires in the country is extremely difficult and costly in the current context, making the theft suffered by Palma a loss that could leave him without income for an indefinite period.
Filed under: