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A branch of the Banco Metropolitano in the Havana neighborhood of Lawton was robbed on Monday night during a blackout, as confirmed by the independent media 14ymedio after verifying the incident on-site.
The theft occurred at the office located at Dolores and 18. According to testimonies gathered by the publication, the criminals forced open an ATM and managed to access the inside of the branch through that opening.
"They broke the ATM and entered through there," reported a local resident.
The incident occurred just hours before the scheduled pension payment date, a circumstance that has fueled suspicions that the office might have a larger amount of cash than usual.
This Tuesday, many retirees arrived at the branch to collect their pensions and found the doors closed.
"I imagine they would have brought a truck full of twenty-dollar bills," commented one of the affected customers.
According to the report, the Ministry of the Interior launched an operation following the robbery, although so far the authorities have not released official information about the incident nor specified whether there were any arrests or how much money may have been stolen.
The incident coincided with another theft reported on the same street during the blackout. Unidentified individuals stole solar panels installed at a nursing home located at the corner of Dolores and 11.
Both events occurred amid a deep energy crisis that has left large areas of the country subject to prolonged blackouts.
Insecurity has also become an increasing concern for many Cubans.
Neighbors from various provinces have reported an increase in thefts and assaults in recent months, taking advantage of the darkness caused by power outages.
"After 8:00 PM, it is impossible to go out, not only because of the darkness, but because people are being assaulted, and they are even breaking into buildings to steal," recently reported a resident of San José de las Lajas in statements to 14ymedio.
The bank heist is not an isolated incident. The Cuban Observatory of Citizen Auditing documented 2,833 verified crimes in 2025, a 115% increase compared to 2024, with thefts being the predominant crime. In June 2026, Vedado in Havana reported more than 30 home burglaries in a single week. The elderly are the most frequent targets due to their vulnerability, and they themselves recognize this.
Behind the desperation that fuels these crimes lies an unprecedented economic collapse. Pensions range between 3,056 and 4,000 pesos per month, yet a basic grocery purchase totaled 21,060 pesos on June 4th. Official inflation reached 15.89% year-on-year in May 2026, although independent estimates place it close to 70% annually. Ninety percent of the population lives in extreme poverty, and seven out of ten Cubans forgo at least one meal a day.
The collection of pensions has become a nightmare for retired Cubans. In February 2026, the blind retiree Pablo Vega passed away in Cárdenas after being beaten and robbed while waiting in line at a bank. In April, there were shoving and chaos in front of a branch in Havana del Este on payment day.
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