The Cuban José Pablo Santovenia Gómez, 63 years old, died after being shot on Saturday night in the rural area of La Ferte, near Coliseo, in the province of Matanzas.
One of the first to report the tragic event was the resident of Matanzas, Christian Arbolaez, on his Facebook profile.
According to the cited source, the incident occurred around 11:00 PM on Saturday, August 15, in La Ferte, a town in the municipality of Limonar, about four kilometers southwest of Coliseo.
According to the version circulated by Arbolaez, someone shouted from outside the house to warn José Pablo that the gate to his house had been left open; he went out to close it and, shortly after, a shot was heard.
According to the version released by Arbolaez, one hypothesis is that it was an attempted robbery, although there is no official confirmation regarding the exact circumstances or the identity of those responsible. At the time of publication, no arrests had been reported.
The seriousness of the violent act was compounded by another element that sparked particular outrage: the authorities' delay in responding to the crime scene.
The body of José Pablo remained at the site from 11:00 PM on Saturday until approximately 3:00 PM on Sunday — about 16 hours — when it was finally transferred to Forensic Medicine.
Christian Arbolaez concluded his publication with a phrase that encapsulates collective outrage: "No one should die, and even less in this way."
Who was José Pablo?
Born on January 28, 1963, he was known in his community as a rural man, dedicated to his cows and horses, and valued by those around him.
In the comments section of the aforementioned publication, an internet user who knew him recalled him as “a very hardworking man, always dedicated to his farm and his animals.”
Another described him as a "simple, honest, incredibly hardworking man."
Among the comments, family members also appeared: the user Yudit Hernandez wrote “Rest in Peace, my uncle. We love you. May God have you in His Glory.”
Reactions on social media: Fear, anger, and distrust
The reaction on social media overflowed with condolences and became a barometer of the mood of many Cubans regarding insecurity.
“We are living in constant fear”; “They are already walking around with firearms in the streets. How my Cuba has changed! I never thought I would see things like this in my country”; “It’s very sad what is happening in Cuba [...] People fight every day to survive, and then some criminals come to take away what they have achieved through hard work,” were other comments.
The demand for justice was unanimous.
"I ask justice to do its job, because José deserves justice," wrote a user identified as Silva.
A master that doesn't yield in Matanzas
The crime occurs in the context of a sustained escalation of violence in Cuba, documented in recent months by independent observatories.
The Cuban Observatory of Citizen Audit recorded 2833 verified crimes in 2025, an increase of 115% compared to 2024.
In 2026, Cubalex recorded 28 murders just in April, and Cuba fell 11 places in the Global Peace Index, down to the 109th position out of 163 countries.
Matanzas has experienced several recent violent episodes: among them, the murder of a man in Cárdenas in May, a deadly shooting outside the Mai Mai bar in Colón in July, and the death of a 19-year-old at El Tenis beach in early August.
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