Intruders Storm Santiago de Cuba School, Leaving Student Critically Injured

On the night of Sunday, April 27th, the Provincial Education Directorate in Santiago de Cuba confirmed that multiple intruders broke into the Antonio Maceo Grajales Vocational Pre-University Institute of Exact Sciences (IPVCE), causing panic and distress among students. In the chaos to evade the trespassers, a student sustained severe injuries after jumping from the second floor to the first. He was swiftly taken to the Dr. Antonio María Béguez César South Children's Hospital, where he remains in critical condition at the time of this report.

The authorities are actively investigating the incident to clarify the circumstances and ensure that all necessary actions are taken against those responsible for this alarming event. Despite the unfortunate situation, the Provincial Education Directorate has stated that classes at the IPVCE will continue as scheduled.

Independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada was among the first to report on the incident via Facebook, sharing various theories based on accounts from students and those close to the school. One theory suggests that youths from the nearby San Juan neighborhood entered the premises seeking revenge for a previous prank by some students. Reportedly armed with knives and machetes, they allegedly instigated a confrontation within the school, Mayeta noted.

During the altercation, a student trying to escape supposedly climbed onto the ledge of a building and jumped, suffering severe head, mouth, and nose injuries. Another account gathered by the journalist claims that one of the outsiders reached a tenth-grade student's dormitory, attacked him with a knife, and allegedly pushed him from a significant height, explaining the extent of his injuries.

Witnesses reported that fellow students quickly came to the injured student's aid, managing to get him to the street where a passing ambulance happened to be available to transport him immediately to a medical facility. Mayeta emphasized that he is in contact with medical and educational sources to confirm further details, while also maintaining the anonymity of the affected student to respect his and his family's privacy.

Reports have also highlighted that security conditions at the school were inadequate and that, despite previous instances of unauthorized entries, effective measures to prevent such incidents had not been implemented.