Residents of the Trocha and Gasómetro areas in Santiago de Cuba reported a wave of assaults occurring in the early hours that has left those traveling through these parts of the city on edge.
The alert was shared by independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada through a post on Facebook that includes the direct testimony of 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 have been quite a few robberies in that area."
According to Mayeta Labrada, several residents of those streets claim to have repeatedly heard desperate screams from people asking for help in the dead of night, while they were allegedly victims of thefts.
"Concerns, therefore, deserve attention. Those who travel during the early morning hours through Trocha, Gasómetro, and nearby streets should exercise extra caution, especially in dark areas or where there is little pedestrian traffic," he stated.
The Cuban government has not issued any significant official statements regarding the rise in crime or the increasing episodes of popular justice in the city.
The communicator asked his followers that if they are victims or witnesses of any robbery, to send their testimonies privately, indicating approximately the street, the time, what happened, and whether they reported it to the Police.
"This will allow for a more accurate determination of what is happening. A city cannot become accustomed to hearing cries for help in the early morning as if they were a normal part of the night," he concluded.
Santiago de Cuba has been experiencing weeks of violent incidents that point to a sustained pattern of decline in public safety.
In mid-August, a chaotic early morning in the Vista Hermosa popular council - an area adjacent to Trocha - involved knife-point robberies, a police chase in which two phones and a knife were recovered, and a fire at a micro-dump, all within a few hours.
During that 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 Citizen Audit Observatory (OCAC), crime increased unprecedentedly in Cuba during 2025: there were 2,833 verified crimes across the Island, a 115% increase compared to 2024 and a 337% rise compared to 2023. Theft was the most prevalent crime, with 1,536 cases. Santiago de Cuba was the fourth most affected province, with 323 verified cases.
This year, Cubalex documented 37 homicides in July, the highest monthly figure 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 officers leaving the force in the past year. Additionally, the regime's police apparatus has historically prioritized political repression over citizen protection.
In the face of institutional inaction, the people of Santiago have repeatedly turned to self-administered justice.
Residents of the Vista Hermosa neighborhood detained an alleged thief and waited nearly 40 minutes for the police to arrive. Residents of the Chicharrones neighborhood captured and immobilized another suspect under similar circumstances.
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