Residents of the Trocha and Gasómetro areas in Santiago de Cuba reported a wave of robberies during the early mornings, causing concern for those passing through these city streets.
The alert was shared by independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada through a post on Facebook that includes a direct testimony from an affected neighbor.
The message, sent via WhatsApp and published with a screenshot, leaves no room for ambiguity: "Tell people to be very careful in Trocha and the Gasómetro area, as there are many robberies happening in that area."
According to Mayeta Labrada, several residents of those streets claim to have heard desperate cries for help in the early hours of the morning, as they were allegedly victims of robberies.
"Concerns, therefore, deserve attention. Those traveling during the early morning hours through Trocha, Gasómetro, and nearby streets should take extra precautions, especially in dark areas or where there are few people," he stated.
The Cuban government has not issued any significant official statements regarding this crisis or about the episodes of popular justice that are multiplying in the city.
The communicator, on the other hand, asked his followers that if they are victims or witnesses of any robbery, to send him their testimonies privately, indicating approximately the street, the time, what happened, and whether they filed a report with the police.
"That will allow for a more precise determination of what is happening. A city cannot get used to hearing cries for help in the early morning as if they were a normal part of the night," he concluded.
The complaint does not come in isolation. Santiago de Cuba has been experiencing weeks of violent episodes that outline a pattern of sustained deterioration in public safety.
In mid-August, a chaotic dawn in the Vista Hermosa popular council -an area adjacent to Trocha- included knife robberies, a police chase that recovered two phones and a knife, and a fire in a small trash dump, all within a few hours.
During the same period, a young man was attacked with a machete during an attempted robbery of a scooter in the José Martí district. The police took 30 minutes to arrive at the scene of a parallel shooting between gangs.
On August 8, a man threatened a pregnant woman with a knife inside a maternity ward to steal her belongings.
According to the Cuban Observatory for Citizen Audit (OCAC), crime increased unprecedentedly in Cuba during 2025: 2,833 verified crimes were recorded throughout the Island, representing a 115% increase compared to 2024 and a 337% rise from 2023. Theft was the predominant crime, with 1,536 cases.
Santiago de Cuba was the fourth most affected province, with 323 confirmed cases.
This figure is added to the report from Cubalex: 37 homicides in July 2026, the highest monthly total since the organization began its monitoring, including at least nine femicides.
The causes include the economic crisis and the internal collapse of law enforcement, with 20% of police personnel having left the force in the past year. Additionally, the regime's police apparatus has historically prioritized political repression over citizen protection.
Faced with institutional inaction, the people of Santiago have repeatedly turned to self-justice.
In February, residents of the Vista Hermosa neighborhood detained an alleged thief and waited nearly 40 minutes for the police to arrive. In June, residents of the Chicharrones neighborhood captured and restrained another suspect under similar circumstances.
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