Yosmany Mayeta's brother was assaulted in Santiago de Cuba: "He was struck multiple times on the head."

Rafael Suárez Labrada, brother of independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, was attacked in the Las Cruces area, very close to the Altamira neighborhood, Santiago de Cuba. The assailants took his phone and struck him several times on the head.

Mayeta himself reported the incident on Facebook, where he detailed what happened: "The assailants stole his cellphone, a light purple Samsung Galaxy S23, and also struck him several times in the head."

According to the reporter, his brother is stable after the attack. However, he expressed his concern about the violence exhibited by the assailants.

Mayeta, residing in the United States since 2019, has been documenting the rise of crime in Santiago de Cuba for years. The situation now impacts him directly: "For years, I have reported on the thefts, assaults, and insecurity that so many families in Santiago face. I have shared the stories of mothers, students, workers, and the elderly who have fallen victim to these incidents. Today, unfortunately, that reality is knocking on the door of my own family."

In her message, she made the complaint public not only for her brother but also as a call on behalf of all families in Santiago who face similar attacks: "How long will the people of Santiago have to live in fear of going out into the streets? How many more people will have to be beaten and stripped of their belongings?"

He also requested that anyone with information about the whereabouts of the stolen phone contact him via Messenger or at WhatsApp +1 (202) 560-0716.

The assault occurs just six weeks after two uniformed police officers visited Mayeta's family home in Altamira, inquiring about a supposed "Pedro Mayeta," which the journalist interpreted as a form of indirect harassment against his work.

Insecurity plagues Santiago de Cuba. In May, a man was murdered to steal his electric tricycle on Avenida Las Américas. In September, neighbors from Trocha and Gasómetro warned about repeated nighttime assaults, and days later a woman was robbed of a gold chain inside her own home in the Mariana de la Torre neighborhood.

The Ministry of the Interior itself acknowledged last February a 25% increase in property crimes, attributing it to the "complex economic situation."

The Cuban Observatory of Citizen Auditing recorded 2,833 verified crimes in Cuba during 2025, a 115% increase compared to the previous year. The province of Santiago reported a total of 323 verified thefts.