The Provincial Popular Court of Matanzas has sentenced two former officials from the Municipal Housing Directorate in Cárdenas on charges of embezzlement. It was revealed that they authorized and certified payments exceeding half a million pesos for projects that were never carried out.
The trial, held on August 7 in the First Criminal Chamber, was marked by its “exemplary, oral, and public” nature, attended by housing officials from Matanzas and Cárdenas. The accused, who held positions as the former director and investor of the entity, were charged with falsifying banking and commercial documents to facilitate embezzlement.
Investigations uncovered that the former director signed an irregular contract with a self-employed worker for the rehabilitation of multifamily buildings, bypassing bidding processes and lacking approval from the Contracting Committee. The contract omitted essential details such as project scope, timeline, responsible parties, and materials.
The project was intended for structural reinforcement of the "Transport" building in the 13 de Marzo district but was never executed. Despite this, the former investor falsely certified the quality of work and approved the payment of 531,486 pesos with 19 cents, which was transferred to the private contractor.
The court sentenced the former director to five years of imprisonment and the former investor to four years, with an option to serve the sentence through correctional labor without confinement. Both are barred from holding positions involving the management of material and financial resources.
A Broader Context of Media Criticism
During the trial, the families of the accused returned the defrauded amount, ensuring no financial loss to the entity. The ruling highlighted the "undeniable social harm" caused by the improper use of state funds.
This judicial case surfaces amid critiques of state media, even from within its ranks. Michel Torres Corona, host of the show "Con Filo," recently acknowledged that "the media often lacks timely information or cannot cover corruption cases that have even gone public."
Torres's statements align with similar criticisms from state journalist Cristina Escobar, who urged a reevaluation of resource use and television programming, denouncing the priority of "filling airtime" over providing useful and critical content.
These comments reveal internal tensions within the state media apparatus, where resource scarcity narratives coexist with strong support for propaganda projects, while space for critical journalism remains limited. In a country where corruption allegations frequently fall outside the official agenda, the Cárdenas case not only implicates two officials but also exposes the cracks in an informational system that, through its own spokespersons, admits it does not always report as it should.
Frequently Asked Questions About Corruption in Cuba
How were the former housing officials in Cárdenas caught for embezzlement?
They were discovered through investigations that revealed unauthorized payments for unexecuted projects and falsification of documents.
What was the role of the state media in covering the corruption case in Cárdenas?
State media coverage of corruption cases is often limited, with criticisms from within its ranks about lack of timely information and coverage.