A technology store located in the center of Cárdenas, in the province of Matanzas, was looted for the second time in less than a year during the early hours of Saturday.
The establishment, identified as "Mercado Real – Servicios y Accesorios" and located on Real Street, had experienced a first robbery in November 2025, according to a report shared by content creator Christian Arboláez.
This time, the thieves ignored the alarm and forced open metal shutters and decorative bars to gain access to the premises, taking nearly everything inside.
The business had an alarm system that remained active during the robbery but failed to stop the criminals or effectively alert the authorities, Arboláez explained.
Furthermore, he emphasized in his post that several neighbors saw the thieves entering and exiting the premises, but the widespread fear prevented any intervention.
Those who tried to call the Police encountered another obstacle: during the early hours of the morning, there was no phone signal because ETECSA had disconnected the service, a practice that has become common during blackouts, leaving citizens without the ability to seek help in the most critical moments.
The theft was discovered around 8:00 in the morning. The owners arrived at the police station at 9:30 a.m., but the authorities only showed up at the scene around 12:30 p.m. after a second visit by the victims.
According to Arboláez, the response received at the station generated additional outrage: the agents indicated that, since it was a private business, the responsibility for protecting it fell on them, and that the security measures installed—bars and alarms—had proven insufficient.
Additionally, the Police indicated that the neighbors who witnessed the theft should have gone in person to the station to report it, instead of trying to communicate by phone.
The business owners stated that they do not expect to recover what was stolen, but they did call on their neighbors: "Within everyone's capabilities, neighbors should look out for each other again and not let fear end up benefiting those who commit crimes."
Arboláez administers the group "Cardenenses on Facebook" and has documented multiple incidents in the municipality, such as the theft of solar panels at the Maternal Home in the area last month.
This incident adds to a series of robberies that have occurred in Cárdenas during 2026, which includes a armed robbery at an ice cream factory in April and the case of a thief caught and tied up by neighborhood residents at the end of July, who took matters into their own hands to prevent a robbery in a building.
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