An unofficially identified man of Cuban origin threatened to kill a Mexican journalist covering a fatal accident on August 14 in Cancun, Quintana Roo. The confrontation was recorded on video and quickly circulated on social media, provoking numerous reactions.
“Be careful filming me, be careful filming me or I will kill you,” is heard as the man confronts the communicator in the middle of Bonampak Avenue, as reported by Heraldo de México Quintana Roo. Another version circulating regarding the incident includes a second threat: “Delete anything you have of me or I will kill you.”
The journalist continued recording and referred to the individual as Cuban, although so far no authority has officially confirmed their nationality.
"This man of Cuban origin who is becoming arrogant with the others, the other colleagues... he is being haughty, as always, he is not even in his own country," the reporter stated before the camera during the altercation.
The images show that the man was at the location where several journalists were covering the accident. There is no information that suggests he had any connection to the driver involved in the incident.
The threat occurred precisely while the communicators were documenting a serious traffic accident that left one woman dead and at least two other people injured.
According to reports on the incident, a white Honda pickup was speeding along Bonampak Avenue when the driver lost control, went up onto the central median, knocked down a light pole, and traveled more than 50 meters before colliding with another vehicle near Plaza Península.
A woman who got out of the struck pickup truck died at the scene, despite the paramedics' efforts to save her.
Local media reported unofficially that the driver who allegedly caused the accident is a Cuban doctor from the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) and that he was reportedly driving under the influence of alcohol. No authority has yet confirmed his nationality, profession, or the latter circumstance.
Moreover, this person is different from the man who appears threatening the journalist in the video, a relevant clarification given the dissemination of both stories concerning the same incident.
The attempt to prevent the cameras from recording the alleged aggressor ended up having the opposite effect. While he was threatening the reporter, other people present also recorded the confrontation, which made it easy for the images to spread widely on social media.
So far, no formal complaint or legal action has been publicly reported against the man for the threats.
The episode takes place in a particularly sensitive context for the Cuban community residing in Cancun, following other incidents involving island citizens that have sparked controversies and, at the same time, expressions of rejection that civil organizations have denounced as discriminatory.
One of the most significant incidents occurred on May 28 in Supermanzana 23, when a Cuban citizen identified as Rigoberto "N" was accused of assaulting a Mexican during a dispute that arose from a bite by an unleashed dog.
The video of that confrontation went viral, and the tension escalated until about 200 people gathered in front of the Cuban couple's home, where they threw stones and bottles. Both were later taken into custody by the National Migration Institute.
After the riots, the couple's residence was severely damaged, while civil organizations like CISVAC raised alerts about reports of discrimination against other Cubans who had nothing to do with the altercation, including cases of rejection for jobs and rentals, insults in public spaces, and signs with messages like "Cubans not allowed."
In light of the situation, the government of Quintana Roo urged to avoid reprisals and not to generalize individual behaviors towards the entire Cuban community.
The presence of citizens from the island in the state is significant and has gained visibility with the arrival of healthcare professionals. In February 2026, the IMSS-Bienestar program had 173 Cuban doctors assigned to rural areas of Quintana Roo, as part of the bilateral agreement supported by Claudia Sheinbaum's government, which maintains about 3,650 Cuban professionals distributed across 23 Mexican states.
The new episode once again places Cuban citizens at the center of public conversation in Cancun, but it takes place in a setting where individual responsibilities and nationality must remain separate. The threats captured in the video correspond to the behavior of a man whose Cuban origin remains unconfirmed officially, and they cannot be attributed to the entirety of a community that in recent months has also reported incidents of hostility and discrimination.
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