A video posted on Facebook shows the moment when residents of Santa Clara intercept and subdue an alleged thief who had just snatched a chain from someone in the community.
The 30-second clip garnered over 14.7 million views and 250,000 reactions, becoming one of the most discussed records regarding the wave of insecurity currently affecting Cuba.
According to Nio Reportando un Crimen, the thief allegedly snatched a chain from a woman in Santa Clara, Villa Clara.
"Following the incident, several people in the area managed to catch and detain him, allegedly preventing him from escaping. So far, we do not know the identity of the accused or other details of the incident," they added.
In the images, a voice can be heard shouting: "Decapitate him, decapitate him for being so brazen," an expression that encapsulates the outrage of those who participated in the detention of the suspect.
The comments on the video reflect a debate that surfaces every time this type of recording circulates on social media. Estela Rafaela Hernandez wrote: "Neighbors doing the job that belongs to the police," a phrase that encapsulates the widespread perception that the National Revolutionary Police does not respond effectively to everyday thefts.
Other users warn about the risks of this dynamic. Pedro Jose noted that "criminals are soon going to arm themselves, and when they find themselves cornered, they will try to escape, causing harm with knives." He described the situation in Cuba as "degrading and very ugly." Carlos Gil de Montes summarized the episode in three words: "Total loss of values."
In recent weeks, neighbors in Villa Clara tied up a suspected thief and shared evidence of the robbery on social media. In July, residents of Cárdenas, Matanzas, captured and tied up another suspect in a building before the authorities arrived. On September 16, a doctor chased and captured the young man who snatched a chain from him. In May, a teenager detained by neighbors in Santiago de Cuba after stealing two chains reportedly said, "I'm a minor, nothing is going to happen to me."
The proliferation of these episodes occurs in parallel with a sustained deterioration of public security in Cuba. According to the Cuban Citizen Audit Observatory, in 2025 there were 2,833 verified crimes, a 115% increase compared to the previous year, with thefts being the dominant category: 1,536 cases, a rise of 479% compared to 2023.
Cubalex documented that August 2026 was the most violent month since it began its monitoring, with 315 criminal incidents and 52 homicides, surpassing the previous record set in July, which had recorded 37 homicides and 168 acts of violence.
The Ministry of the Interior itself acknowledged at the beginning of the year a 25% increase in crimes against property, attributing it to the "complex economic situation," without mentioning the role of state management in the deterioration. Journalistic analyses also indicate that nearly 20% of police personnel may have left the force, which exacerbates the gap between the demand for security and the institutional response capacity.
On Friday, Cubans publicly questioned the police for dedicating resources to monitoring posters and political propaganda instead of addressing crime, a criticism that is becoming more common as thefts and robberies normalize in the everyday life of the island.
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