Arsenio Silvera, a custodian of warehouses with parking service in the municipality of San Miguel del Padrón, Havana, died after being brutally beaten at his workplace, according to reports from his family, who claim that he had previously gone to the police regarding threats related to the theft of an electric motorcycle.
The family received the news of his passing around 10:00 p.m. on September 25, according to a report shared by activist Magdiel Jorge Castro.
So far, no official information has been released by the Cuban authorities regarding the crime or possible suspects.
A robbery, threats, and a report to the police
The origin of the conflict appears to stem from the disappearance of an electric motorcycle from the place where Silvera worked, according to a testimonial from a relative collected by the aforementioned source.
Someone had parked the motorcycle on the premises, and later the vehicle was taken by a family member of its owner.
From then on, according to the same source, the threats and extortions related to theft began.
Family members claim that Silvera went to the police and reported what was happening.
He was later attacked at his workplace and received a severe beating, according to accounts from those close to him.
At the moment, there is no official information that clarifies who participated in the assault, whether it was indeed related to the motorcycle theft, or what actions the authorities took following the report that, according to the family, Silvera had filed.
Electric motorcycles, like the one that reportedly disappeared from the location where Silvera worked, have become highly sought-after goods among criminals due to their high value. In the informal Cuban market, some models can exceed 2,000 dollars.
They found him alive in a pool of blood
The family report shared describes the severity of the scene where the guard was found: “He was found alive, lying in a pool of blood”.
Silvera was transferred to a hospital in critical condition. According to his relatives, they were informed that he needed to be admitted to intensive care, but that admission never took place.
“He remained at the guardhouse and was sent to the Calixto García Hospital”, the family explained.
However, according to the report, the ambulance to make that transfer never arrived.
Finally, Silvera has passed away. His family reported that they received the news at around 10:00 PM last Friday.
Hours waiting for the transfer of the body
The family's suffering continued after learning of the worker's death.
The relatives reported delays, a lack of information, and the absence of clear answers during the process of transporting the body to Guanajay, Artemisa, where the family was located.
According to the released testimony, they were informed on Saturday that the transfer would take place around 3:00 p.m. However, at 7:46 p.m., they were still waiting.
“They just went to retrieve the body now”, reported the family members, who claimed they had been informed that the corpse was “in very poor condition” at the funeral home on Calzada and K.
The family lamented that, despite the passage of time, nobody provided them with a clear explanation: “No one gives us a clear answer or takes responsibility for the situation,” they pointed out.
Without official information about the investigation
So far, no official details have been made public regarding the identity of those responsible for the assault, the exact circumstances of the attack, or the status of any potential police investigation.
There is also no official confirmation regarding the prior report that, according to family members, Silvera filed with the police concerning the threats and extortions he allegedly received.
Another violent incident in San Miguel del Padrón
The case of Silvera coincided with another serious episode of violence reported in San Miguel del Padrón itself.
At dawn on Saturday, four masked individuals assaulted a small business in Juanelo: they fired shots inside the establishment, injured a worker in the arm, and sprayed the owner, affecting her vision.
"No one is able to control crime in Cuba," stated a witness who described the assault, according to the independent journalist Camila Acosta.
Another guardian victim of extreme violence
Silvera is not the only guardian whose violent death has made headlines in Cuba in recent months.
In August, Rafael Jiner Guerra, a 64-year-old custodian with 34 years of service, was killed during a robbery in the parking lot of the Ernesto Guevara General Teaching Hospital in Las Tunas.
Three young individuals aged between 21 and 25 were arrested in September for their alleged involvement in that crime, although their identities and formal charges were not disclosed at that time.
Independent organizations warn about homicides
The case takes place against a backdrop of escalating violent incidents in Cuba, as independent organizations have warned, since the authorities do not publish detailed, periodic statistics that would allow for an assessment of the evolution of crime rates.
According to the assessment by the Cuban Observatory for Citizen Auditing (OCAC), murders increased by 43% during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period the previous year, rising from 63 to 90 cases.
The observatory also reported the fatality rate of recorded crimes at 10.35 deaths per 100 crimes, compared to 5.23 in the previous period.
For its part, Cubalex documented 52 homicides just in August, the highest monthly figure recorded by that organization since it began its monitoring in 2024, following the 37 cases counted in July.
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