A young man with visual impairments who earns a living selling bread by bicycle was assaulted this week in Manguito, a district of Calimete, in the municipality of Matanzas where he resides, according to testimonies shared on social media. The case has sparked a wave of outrage in Cuba and among the online Cuban community.
Those who know him describe him as a kind-hearted, upright, and very hardworking young man who, despite his visual limitations, goes out every day to earn a living honestly. His mother is named Lily, and the family is well-known in the community, as reported by the user Christian Arbolaez on Facebook.
Jonathan's routine is demanding, Arbolaez expanded: he loads his bicycle with bread and travels the distance between Manguito and the municipal seat of Calimete to sell them, sometimes leaving at dawn. "There are even days when he sets out early in the morning by bicycle from Manguito to Calimete, covers a considerable distance, sells his bread, and then starts the journey back," he said.
It was precisely during one of those days when the assault took place. According to the testimonies gathered, unknown individuals robbed him of the money he had earned from his day's work. As of now, not all the details of the incident are known, including the exact amount of money stolen or the identity of those responsible.
The story moved those who read it on social media. "Behind the money they took was hours of effort, kilometers traveled by bicycle, and a boy trying to get ahead in the most honorable way possible," wrote Arbolaez. Activist Lara Crofs (Yamilka Lafita), who also shared information about the vandalistic incident, was more direct in pointing out its social background: "A society that reaches the point of stealing from someone who can barely survive should ask itself what kind of misery we are normalizing."
The comments on the posts unanimously condemned the robbery with particular severity, especially because the victim is a very young person who works hard despite their limitations. "What value is there in stealing money from a child who goes out to sell bread to make a living? None. Absolutely none," Crofs added.
The case of Jonathan is not an isolated incident. The insecurity in Cuba has steadily escalated in recent years. "The Cuban Observatory for Citizen Auditing (OCAC) identified and verified 2,833 reports of criminal incidents in Cuba during 2025, compared to 1,317 in 2024 and 649 in 2023, representing increases of 115.11% and 336.58%, respectively."
The thefts were the most frequently documented category in the report, with 1,536 cases recorded that year. In 2026, violent thefts have continued in multiple provinces, including Matanzas.
In April of this year, also in Matanzas, there was a report of the assault on a 13-year-old boy with a knife to his throat to steal his bicycle in Cárdenas. Analysts and media attribute the increase in crime to the economic crisis, power outages, and the reduction of police personnel on the island.
In that context of precariousness, individuals with visual impairments like Jonathan turn to informal work and street vending as a means of survival. Despite specific initiatives for job inclusion, the daily reality for this group in Cuba remains characterized by vulnerability.
“Jonathan was not taking anything away from anyone. He was fighting with dignity,” concluded Arbolaez in his post, in which he called for clarity regarding what happened and for those who committed the assault to be held accountable for their actions.
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