The Facebook user Luis Ernesto Martínez González reported a supposed increase in thefts in Bolondrón, a locality in the Pedro Betancourt municipality in the province of Matanzas.
In a Facebook post, Martínez claims that his neighbors wake up each day with the same question: Where were the thefts last night? Solar panels, ecoflows, gas cylinders, turbines, and water tanks vanish, while insecurity becomes the backdrop of everyday life in that small town of about 7,000 inhabitants.
The report accumulated dozens of comments from neighbors and Cubans from other provinces. The author himself reported the theft of his plastic water tank and requested information about its whereabouts.
"Bolondrón is under attack from thieves. Every day at dawn, news of the new crimes committed during the night spreads among its inhabitants. Burgled homes, solar panels, ecoflows, gas cylinders, turbines, water tanks... those are the preferred victims. Belongings acquired with great effort," he wrote.
Martínez González fears that the situation could escalate into violence in a short time: "Complaints are piling up, solutions are scarce. There are already neighbors considering organizing themselves to confront the criminals. I have no doubt that at some point a violent incident will occur, which is the most regrettable."
The comments on the post portray a police force that is either absent or ineffective. "It's better not to comment; when the law enforcement shows up the next day, they observe and ask... do you suspect anyone? They hop on their bike and that's it," wrote a neighbor.
Another commentator recounted a case that illustrates institutional paralysis: a woman recorded on her own camera the person who stole her turbine, but the police refused to take action, arguing that the camera she installed herself was "illegal."
"A ghost town without police, where the first question of the day is: Where did they rob last night? On top of so many difficulties, fear and insecurity are also added," summarized another person.
Frustration spilled beyond the borders of Bolondrón. A commentator from El Vedado, in Havana, noted that in less than a month, water tanks, a motorcycle, and a pedicab had been stolen from her.
From Reparto Bahía, in Havana del Este, another person wrote: "The police apparently have endless vacations. You don't see police cars or any of them. They used to patrol the neighborhoods. Now there's nothing. Everything has turned into corruption."
The Episcopal Church of San Pablo de Bolondrón also reported thefts and police inaction in recent months. First, a complete solar station was stolen on May 23, and then about 20 meters of wiring from its solar power system. Authorities acknowledged that they had identified the alleged culprits, but claimed a lack of evidence to take action.
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