A video posted on Instagram by the user sshantl.avs has become a phenomenon on social media, depicting, with sarcasm and without filters, the deterioration of law enforcement.
In the clip, the woman dismantles the image of the feared "Black Wasps" and describes today's agents as figures that do not inspire respect or authority.
"For what the Black Wasps of this country have become, they don't even measure up to a fly today," says sshantl.avs in the video, which has garnered over 18,000 likes.
The young woman nostalgically recalls how the elite agents used to be: "Back then, the black wasps were tough people, big guys, you know, Easterners, everything, but tough."
Today, however, he describes them as "two skinny guys dressed in green who look like dry twigs" and concludes that "there is no respect for authority in this country."
His criticism goes beyond the physical. He notes that current policemen wield their power solely through their uniform and the ability to arrest, rather than any real authority: "This blowpipe, just like the smooth general, if you hit me with a slap, I fear you because you have a uniform and I could end up in jail, but you can't handle a real hit."
He goes so far as to say that if he were to be robbed, he would rather confront the thief than step into a police station: "It's not even worth going to the police station to report anyone. If I get robbed, I'd rather face off against the thief."
The video reflects a structural crisis that the regime itself has only half acknowledged.
In February, the government opened a public recruitment call for new police officers, offering training courses lasting six and eleven months.
Months earlier, in October 2025, the PNR was already searching for recruits directly in schools in Havana, a sign of the difficulty in attracting candidates.
The reasons for the wear and tear are evident: agents earn between 823 and 1,000 Cuban pesos per month, an insignificant amount in the midst of the economic crisis, barely supplemented with food bags and access to preferential stores.
A former Cuban police officer put it plainly: "The agent is an instrument of the system and struggles just like everyone else.
The result is a force in disarray: 20% of the personnel left the organization in the last year.
While the Police are dwindling, crime is surging. The Cuban Conflict Observatory documented 2,833 verified crimes in 2025, a 115% increase compared to 2024, with theft as the predominant offense. Seventy-eight percent of Cubans report feeling unsafe.
The loss of police authority has also been seen on the streets. In March 2026, police in Morón ran away after a rain of stones during a protest. On June 3rd, in Centro Habana, protesters physically pushed back the officers during a demonstration against power outages lasting over twenty hours.
The mention of "black wasps" in the video comes at a historically sensitive moment. Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces on January 3, Cuba acknowledged the deaths of 32 Cuban soldiers linked to his personal security, identified by various media outlets as members of that elite unit, which publicly exposed the deterioration of what was considered the most prepared body of the Island's repressive apparatus.
Cuba has fallen this month to 109th place out of 163 in the Global Peace Index 2026, a ranking that numerically reflects what the Cuban woman in the video expresses in words: a state that can no longer guarantee either order or the safety of its citizens.
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