Residents of Manzanillo, Granma, detained a suspected thief accused of stealing a mobile phone and reported that when they called the police, the response was that they should release him because the authorities could do nothing.
The incident was captured in a 32-second video posted on Facebook by Carlos Bárzaga, where neighbors can be heard confronting the detainee: "For being a thief, stealing a phone. Come on, you're going on Facebook, shameless."
The images gathered over 122,000 views and generated hundreds of comments expressing outrage.
Bárzaga himself explained in the comments what happened after calling the authorities: "When the police were called, they said to let him go, that they couldn't do anything."
A woman who also commented on the video clarified what the official excuse was: "What the Police said was that they didn't have any fuel to come for the detainee, so they should take him to the station to process him."
The response ignited the anger of internet users, who pointed out a contradiction they find unacceptable: the same institution that claims to have no gasoline to address a robbery does have it to suppress protests.
"They don't have gasoline to go, but as soon as you step out to protest because there's no electricity or because of hunger, gasoline magically appears for five or six cars, a truck, and seven security motorcycles," wrote an internet user.
"Put someone next to him shouting Homeland and Life so those sons of bitches show up quickly," pointed out another.
Frustration in the comments reached a point where several Cubans mentioned the Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele as the type of leadership the country needs to combat impunity. "How long will this Cuba endure while the thieves do as they please and the Police take no action?" one person wrote.
In April, it was reported that in Santiago de Cuba the Police were receiving fuel without restrictions at service stations while the civilian population had to wait up to 24 hours to purchase just 20 liters.
The case of Manzanillo is not an isolated incident. Recently, residents of Camagüey detained a suspect found in the yard of a house and the police never arrived.
In El Vedado, residents captured a man who snatched a cellphone from a passerby. In Cárdenas, residents captured and tied up a suspected thief in a building while waiting for authorities to arrive.
In Manzanillo itself, in March 2025, neighbors from the La Kaba neighborhood captured a thief who was caught in a home during the night.
According to a study by the Cuban Observatory for Citizen Auditing (OCAC), crime in Cuba reached record levels in 2025: 2,833 verified crimes, an increase of 115% compared to 2024 and 337% compared to 2023. Theft was the most common category, with 1,536 cases.
Granma, the province where this incident occurred, reported 424 crimes that year, making it the second most affected region in the country.
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