The National Revolutionary Police (PNR) of Camagüey organized an "Asset Return Ceremony" to return an electric scooter to its owner, which had been stolen by two individuals under threat of knives in the vicinity of the Plaza de la Revolución Mayor General Ignacio Agramonte, in a central area of the city.
The statement, shared on social media, once again took on the format used in recent months by the PNR and the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) to publicize the recovery of stolen goods: the presence of uniformed officers and community members, a public discourse, the handover of the item to the victim, and subsequent dissemination of the event.
According to a post by the journalist from Televisión Camagüey Luis Naranjo on Facebook, the owner was approached during the day by two individuals who threatened him with knives and forced him to hand over the scooter.
The publication states that the police action allowed for the recovery of the vehicle just a few hours after the robbery.
This is a Bucatti scooter, black with red accents and equipped with a lithium battery. Currently, its marketing in Cuba can reach prices that may exceed 2,000 dollars and approach or surpass 3,000, depending on the model and the seller—amounts that are particularly high in a country where most workers are paid in Cuban pesos, which have significantly lost their purchasing power.
The released images show uniformed police officers, a representative from MININT, and several civilians gathered in an outdoor area in a neighborhood in Camagüey. A woman speaks into a microphone, and afterward, the owner appears next to the recovered vehicle. A Cuban flag completes the backdrop of the event.
The publication also used the usual institutional language to report on the event: during the meeting, any vandalism in our society was said to be "condemned," and the recovery was presented as a result of the joint efforts between the police and "the people."
Returning a stolen object turned into a public act
The organization of ceremonies to publicly present recovered goods has become a recurring event throughout 2026.
Similar acts have been documented in Cienfuegos, Isla de la Juventud, and Matanzas, featuring a similar staging: the presence of uniformed officers and local residents, speeches, the return of belongings, and subsequent dissemination on social media.
Beyond the recovery of the diesel, the case in Camagüey brings attention back to a problem that worries many Cubans: violent assaults aimed at seizing motorcycles and other electric vehicles, which are valuable assets and difficult to replace given the current economic conditions on the island.
The location and circumstances of the robbery are also noteworthy. According to the information released, two individuals armed with sharp objects dared to confront the victim during the day in the vicinity of the Plaza de la Revolución, a central and busy area of Camagüey.
Knife assaults raise concern in Camagüey
The province has recorded several violent episodes in recent months that have caused alarm among residents.
In April, a woman was left in critical condition after being attacked with a knife during a robbery near the Train Terminal. This was then the second violent incident reported in that area in less than a week.
In June, a young woman reported that an individual was harassing her with a knife in the heart of the city and questioned the police response to her complaints.
The assaults to steal electric vehicles have had even more serious consequences in other provinces.
On August 1st, young Carlos Luis Suárez Navarro was killed during an assault in Cienfuegos in which the attackers aimed to take his electric scooter.
Months earlier, in April, Adonis Fuentes González was murdered in that same province during another violent robbery. In that case, the assailants took the battery and charger from his electric tricycle.
In the face of citizen insecurity, the PNR continues to resort to public displays to showcase the items it manages to recover. This staging aims to project a sense of responsiveness from the authorities, but it also ends up highlighting the very crimes they seek to present as resolved.
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