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A family from Ciego de Ávila issued an urgent call on social media following the theft of a mare and a horse in Crucero de Quesada, a village and crossroads located about eight kilometers east of the city of Ciego de Ávila, along the Central Highway, and is offering a reward of one thousand dollars for information that leads to the recovery of the animals alive.
The affected individual, identified as Chacorta Humberley Hernandez, made the announcement through the Facebook page "El Mas Puro Rodeo Cubano" and explained that the theft occurred overnight in that area of the Ciego de Ávila province.
"Last night, at the Quesada crossing, they stole a mare and a horse from us. This is not just a material loss… the mare belonged to my grandfather, who passed away recently, and it is the only thing I have left of him. It holds immense sentimental value for me," Hernandez wrote in his post.
The owner has set up a WhatsApp number (+1 813 562 3975) to receive any information about the animals' whereabouts and emphasized that "no matter how small it may seem, any detail can help."
The comments on the post reveal a reality that deepens the despair of the affected individual: in Cuba, stolen horses rarely turn up alive.
A user identified as Onilda Caro shared her experience: "My horse and a colt were stolen from me on Wednesday night, and they were killed the next day. The little horse wasn't very good but valued at 500,000 Cuban pesos, and a beautiful colt."
Other commentators agreed that the thieves act quickly to avoid being caught. Sinesio Aguilar warned that "those who take them do so to kill and sell them," while Ana Galan pointed out that after the robbery, the animals "are almost always already sold to those who sacrifice them, or the same thieves kill them, driven by the hunger that exists."
The Quesada Cruise is not unfamiliar with this type of crime. In April 2026, travelers publicly alerted about frequent thefts at that crossroads and questioned the response of law enforcement authorities.
Theft of livestock is a structural problem in the province. According to data from the National Revolutionary Police, in Ciego de Ávila, 1,689 heads of cattle were stolen in 2021, more than double the number in 2020, when the figure was 824.
In August 2025, a similar case shocked the Cuban equestrian community when "Carola" was stolen and killed, the horse of national barrel racing champion Leidy Laura Rodríguez, in Sagua la Grande, Villa Clara.
The impunity surrounding these crimes came to light in October 2024, when neighbors in Santiago de Cuba captured a horse thief by their own means, but the Police released him just a few hours later.
Anyone with information about the mare or horse stolen in the Quesada Crossing can contact through the post published on Facebook or write directly to WhatsApp +1 813 562 3975.
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