In an effort to send a strong message and deter those who challenge the state's control over economic resources, the Cuban regime conducted a "show trial" against several workers of the Héctor Molina sugar mill in San Nicolás de Bari, Mayabeque, for the theft of over 16 tons of sugar intended for the basic food basket. The legal proceedings, carried out at the Municipal Court of Güines, resulted in sentences ranging from four to five years of imprisonment for crimes of embezzlement and failure to safeguard assets in economic entities.
The accused were alleged, according to official reports, to have willfully neglected their duties of oversight and organization in the central warehouse, thereby enabling the product's disappearance with the assistance of other workers at the facility. The prosecution's key witness was the company's own director, Elvis González Vasallo, who testified that the defendants were part of a dismantled "theft chain" within the facilities, demonstrating their criminal intent in the bulk raw sugar theft.
The missing load, sourced from Cienfuegos province and intended to supply the regulated basic basket, directly affected over 16,000 consumers. Aside from the prison sentences, the court also mandated the convicts to compensate for the economic damages inflicted on the state-owned enterprise.
A Stark Reality for a Crumbling Economy
Beyond the official narrative of "transparency and legality," this case exposes a much more alarming and systemic issue: the moral and functional collapse of the Cuban state economic apparatus and a population driven to crime out of sheer necessity. When shortages extend beyond sugar to include dignity, ethics, and food on the table, thefts like this are merely symptoms of a system that breeds corruption as a survival method.
State media has portrayed the trial as a warning, but it also seems like a facade to hide the massive and institutionalized theft that the Cuban people endure daily, manifested through symbolic wages, absurd prices, endless rationing, and empty promises. Workers are condemned for failing their duties in sugar warehouses while the country's leadership remains shielded from any accountability for the productive and moral disaster dragging the nation down.
Steal or Perish
The Mayabeque case is not isolated. Last July, a similar scandal erupted in the province of Artemisa when a group of 12 individuals, including employees of the Harlem agro-industrial complex in Bahía Honda, stole two tons of sugar with the collusion of guards who were bribed with 23,000 pesos in a single night. There, the prosecution sought sentences of up to 18 years in prison, again highlighting the extent of corruption within state economic structures.
What Lies Beneath the Stolen Sugar?
Through these cases, the state seeks to reaffirm its authority in key sectors like the sugar industry, historically a cornerstone of the national economy but now in crisis. Sugar theft is no longer merely a crime; it is a poignant metaphor for a country where desperation is measured in grams and the future is sold by the kilo. While "example trials" are held, no real solutions to structural poverty are offered, nor is any guarantee given that the thousands of families affected by these shortages will receive any compensation.
People quietly ask, but the question grows louder in neighborhoods, sugar mills, churches, and endless lines: Who judges the system that has turned an entire population into suspects? Prisons in Cuba will continue to fill with scapegoats, but sugar—and hope—will remain absent from tables. What has long been stolen is not just sugar. It's justice.
Understanding the Sugar Theft Crisis in Cuba
What was the outcome of the sugar theft trial in Mayabeque?
The trial concluded with sentences ranging from four to five years in prison for embezzlement and failure to protect state assets, along with a requirement for the convicts to compensate the state's economic damages.
How does sugar theft reflect broader issues in Cuba?
Sugar theft highlights the moral and functional collapse of Cuba's economic system, with citizens driven to crime due to systemic shortages and survival needs.
What was the role of Elvis González Vasallo in the trial?
Elvis González Vasallo, the director of the company, testified as a key witness, stating that the accused were part of a theft chain and demonstrated criminal intent in the sugar theft.