An elderly man from Ciego de Ávila named Leonel lost his only bicycle—old, rusty, and his primary means of transportation—when a thief stole it from him last Tuesday while he wasn't looking.
What seemed like an irreparable loss turned, just days later, into a gesture of solidarity that moved hundreds of Cubans on social media.
The case came to light thanks to a post on Facebook by activist and citizen journalist Guillermo Rodríguez Sánchez, who recounted how Leonel's great-niece shared the situation on social media not to ask for help, but to express her indignation at the abuse.
Leonel is an elderly man who still works to support himself and take care of his sick wife. "With a small plastic box tied to the grill, he left for work and to run household errands every day," wrote Rodríguez Sánchez.
"Due to a moment of carelessness, some jerk stole it and took the bike; he didn't care that it was old and rusty or that it belonged to a deserving and hardworking elderly man," he emphasized.
After the theft, he was devastated and wandered the streets aimlessly searching for the bicycle.
An anonymous follower who knew the family saw the post and contacted the activist with a straightforward proposal: "Find a bicycle that costs around 90,000 pesos because I want to gift it to him. His family has done a lot of good for me in various ways, and I want to give back without them knowing it was me."
The chain of coincidences didn't end there: another follower偶然 came across a bicycle being sold on the streets of Avilés with a "for sale" sign priced exactly at 90,000 pesos. This Friday, Leonel already had his new bicycle.
The elderly man expressed his gratitude for the gesture in a video: "I sincerely thank you for this humanitarian aid you have provided and for this generous gesture. Like my wife, like my children, my coworkers, all of them are deeply grateful for this gesture you have made."
Rodríguez Sánchez himself took the opportunity to point out the paradox contained in the case: "For God's sake, a bicycle for 90 thousand pesos and that being the normalized price, the inflation in Cuba is absolute madness without control." He added, "Those who steal have it all perfectly calculated."
These 90,000 pesos are equivalent to more than 28 minimum monthly wages, set at 3,210 pesos since July 1.
The bicycle, a basic necessity in a country with inadequate public transportation, has become an unattainable luxury for most Cubans.
Leonel's theft is not an isolated case.
According to data from the Cuban Citizen Audit Observatory, Cuba reported 2,833 verified crimes in 2025, a 115% increase compared to 2024, with 1,536 robberies being the most common category.
In Ciego de Ávila, crime has been a recurring issue: in 2025, a gang dedicated to motorcycle theft that operated violently in that province and in Morón was dismantled.
The elderly are now the most vulnerable group to theft and assaults in Cuba, according to reports from independent organizations.
In February, a retired man passed away after being assaulted while waiting in line at a bank in Cárdenas.
The regime, however, has not presented any verifiable public security plan; its resources are focused on political control and the repression of dissent.
In the absence of state support, organized citizen solidarity on Facebook has become the only real response mechanism. These are gestures that the state should guarantee, but instead, they rely on the anonymous generosity of those who have little.
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