The theft of several horses in the municipality of Colón, Matanzas, has prompted a desperate call from their owners, who are offering a reward of two million for their safe return and pleading with those who have them not to harm them.
The report was shared this Monday by the Facebook profile Rodeo Cubano, which reported that the animals were stolen during the night on Sunday and requested the help of ranchers, cowboys, transporters, and neighbors to find them.
"PLEASE, HELP US FIND THEM! DO NOT KILL THEM!" the post expressed, accompanied by photographs of the missing horses.
According to the message, the animals belong to young workers who have devoted time, resources, and effort to their care. Their owners fear that they will be sold or sacrificed before they can recover them.
“Behind each of them are young workers who fight every day, who sacrifice to care for them, who look after them with love, and who live for their animals,” noted Rodeo Cubano.
The complaint describes the anguish experienced by those affected, for whom the horses represent much more than a material possession.
"Today, those young people are suffering the anguish of not knowing where their colleagues, with whom they have shared hard work and countless hours of dedication, are," the profile added.
To facilitate their recovery, the informants announced a reward of two million, without explicitly specifying the currency in the text of the publication.
The message also asks for information from anyone who has seen the animals or knows someone who is trying to sell them.
The appeal is specifically directed at those who work with livestock and horses, as they might recognize the animals from the circulated photographs or receive information about their possible whereabouts.
"If you have seen them, if someone is offering them, or if you know where they might be, please do not turn a blind eye," the reporters pleaded.
The main concern of the owners is that the horses may be illegally slaughtered, a possibility that has also prompted similar calls in other cases of animal theft in Cuba.
The publication also urged to not buy animals from illegal sources nor to collaborate with those who benefit from these thefts.
The officials in charge of the search announced that they would gather photographs of the horses in the comments to broaden their dissemination and make it easier for them to be recognized in Colón and other areas of Matanzas.
The message provides a WhatsApp contact for those who have information about the animals.
This is not the first time Colón has been mentioned in a report of this nature. Last August, two horses trained for acrobatic shows were stolen in that municipality, which prompted a significant mobilization from the equestrian community.
The animals belonged to two girls, Mayumi and Jennifer, who used them in their performances and maintained a close bond with them.
On that occasion, Rodeo Cubano also circulated photographs and specifically urged those responsible for the theft not to sacrifice the specimens.
The search ended successfully: the two horses were recovered alive a few days later and returned to their owners.
One of the most emotional moments was the reunion of Mayumi with her horse Rafá, which was captured in a video shared on social media.
Horse thefts have also led to reports in other Cuban provinces. In September, two owners from San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, offered rewards to recover their animals, while family and friends pleaded for them not to be slaughtered.
One of the affected individuals then expressed that the loss of the horse jeopardized both their family economy and their daily life, as the animal was part of their means of livelihood.
Weeks earlier, another report warned about the theft of four horses in Cienfuegos, including one identified as Norteño and three mares.
Their owners also offered a reward and requested assistance in locating them before they could come to any harm.
In the municipality of Colón, another serious incident related to animal theft was recorded in March of this year, when seven masked men stormed an agricultural cooperative and stole nine cattle, after firing shots into the air to intimidate those present.
Authorities later reported the arrest of four suspects related to that robbery. The cattle were slaughtered in a nearby sugar cane field, according to the information released at the time.
The fear of animal owners has also been reflected in the testimonies of farmers who have lost a significant portion of their livestock.
In April 2025, a 71-year-old cattle rancher mentioned that he had decided to sell his cattle after suffering repeated thefts and illegal slaughters.
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