One of the three bronze stars from the mausoleum where the remains of Major General Calixto García Íñiguez (1839-1898) rest was removed by unknown individuals on the night of Monday or the early hours of Tuesday, just hours before Holguín commemorated the 187th anniversary of the birth of the national hero.
According to the public complaint by historian Víctor Aguilera Nonell, he discovered the missing item when he visited the Plaza de la Revolución on Tuesday, August 4, to pay tribute to the figure known as the General of the Three Wars.
"Unscrupulous hands stole the upper bronze star from the mausoleum where the remains of the distinguished patriot lie, one of the three stars located at the front of the funeral niche," wrote the first vice president of the Union of Historians of Cuba in Holguín on his Facebook profile.
The three bronze cast pieces were placed on the façade of the mausoleum in 1981 and symbolize the ranks of major general that García attained during the three wars of independence in Cuba.
The complex, declared National Monument in 1991, is one of the few public spaces on the island, apart from cemeteries, that houses the remains of a hero of independence.
The historian emphasized that this is not an isolated incident. "For several years now, our square has been under attack by countless individuals, and very little, if anything, has been done to protect it. Once again, I appeal to the collective conscience and the authorities of Holguín to safeguard this place that is so significant to our province," he underscored.
Indignation spread quickly on social media. "The square is no longer protected; why are these things allowed, why the impunity?" asked a citizen in the comments.
Another person summed up the overall situation in a single phrase: "The whole of Holguín. Parks, schools, all the fences. They steal everything."
Several commentators pointed out that the timing of the robbery, the exact eve of the anniversary, can hardly be attributed to chance.
"Coincidences do not exist. How else can one understand that the same day as the anniversary of the Major General this happens? There you have the consequence of the venue remaining without an effective protection system," wrote one of them, who warned: "Don’t be surprised if one day the remains of Lucía (Íñiguez, García's mother) and Calixto appear in some neighborhood on the outskirts."
Others pointed to the deterioration of the environment: "The plaza is a recreational place; people drink beer and race scooters. We need to look into this," noted a resident.
"For another citizen, the theft 'is not just material; it is an attack on our symbolic heritage. It reflects a neglect that we have been tolerating.'"
The looting of Holguin's heritage has accumulated a series of episodes in recent months. In December 2025, a man tore a gate from the Parque de las Flores in broad daylight without anyone intervening.
Most recently, at the end of April, the sword from the statue of Major General Julio Grave de Peralta was stolen for at least the third time in the park named after him in the Cuban City of Parks.
In July, four solar panels from the potable water system were stolen next to the 18-story buildings, very close to the Plaza de la Revolución in Holguin.
Days later, themarble plaque dedicated to Pablo Neruda in Loma de la Cruz in the eastern city was destroyed.
On a national scale, the Cuban Citizen Audit Observatory recorded 2,833 crimes in Cuba during 2025, a 115% increase compared to the previous year, with 1,536 thefts representing a 479% rise since 2023.
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