The security cameras of a private store in Havana captured the moment when a man allegedly stole a deodorant, but what turned the case into a viral phenomenon was not the theft itself, but the unusual reaction of the suspect when the owners confronted him with the footage after returning to the scene. The video, posted by the store Clásica Habana on Facebook, has already surpassed 1.46 million views.
According to the owners of the establishment, the man arrived at the store with the intent to commit theft. "He came in already with his little bag ready. He took it and stuffed it away. What he least expected was that there were cameras all over the store," they explain while showing the recordings, which capture how the customer takes the product and hides it among his belongings without realizing that everything was being recorded.
Days later, when he returned to the store, the owners decided to confront him with the footage. However, far from admitting what had happened or trying to leave, the man firmly denied having stolen.
"I didn't steal; what I saw is that, and I told the lady that I didn't want it," he assured during the argument. He even revealed his identity — "My name is Juan Carlos" — and claimed that he lived "on the corner" of the establishment, an attitude that sparked a wave of ironic comments among social media users.
The owners informed him that the cameras had caught him stealing on three different days and warned him that they would file a formal complaint. During the exchange, they insisted on a phrase that ultimately became the hallmark of the video: "It's not what you say, it's what the camera says." This expression, repeated several times in the recording, has been cited by thousands of users among the more than 46,000 reactions that the post has received.
The outcome also caught the attention of numerous internet users. Many pointed out that the man left the establishment without being detained or returning the deodorant. "But in the end, they did nothing; he took the deodorant," wrote one user. Another commented, "He was convinced he hadn't done anything, providing his name and address and everything. I would like to see how that ends."
The owners explained that they decided to make the images public for preventive purposes. "The cameras in our store captured this person at the time of a theft. We are sharing this material so that other merchants can be warned and avoid facing the same situation," they stated in the post, where they also asked anyone who recognizes the suspect to contact the business.
The sharing of videos like this has become increasingly common in Cuba, especially among small business owners who turn to social media to report thefts and alert fellow merchants due to a perceived inadequate response from the authorities.
The phenomenon occurs in a context of rising property crimes. An investigation by elTOQUE documented that in 2025, there were 1,536 thefts recorded in the country, a 115% increase compared to the previous year and a 479% rise compared to 2023. For its part, the Ministry of the Interior acknowledged in February 2026 a 25% increase in property crimes, attributing it to the "complex economic situation" the country is facing.
In this case, the fact that the stolen item was a deodorant—a basic product that is often in short supply and tends to be priced high in Cuba—adds another dimension to an episode that reflects both the economic decline and the increasing concerns of private entrepreneurs regarding insecurity.
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