Crackdown in Baracoa Targets Unlicensed Riders, Results in Seizure of Over Twenty Motorcycles and Hefty Fines

In a recent crackdown by Cuba's Ministry of the Interior in the Guantanamo municipality of Baracoa, over twenty motorcycles and mopeds were seized from unlicensed riders. Some individuals are now facing criminal charges, while others were slapped with fines and warnings.

According to posts on the pro-government Facebook page "Guantánamo y su verdad," these vehicles are currently held at the Municipal Transportation Directorate. Owners must pay a steep fee of 1,000 pesos per day to retrieve them. One owner mentioned that two individuals were charged with "disobedience" for being repeat offenders without a driving license, whereas others received fines and warnings.

This operation sparked critical reactions on social media, where users voiced concerns about the lack of preventive measures and the operation's overtly repressive nature. Carlos Ramírez commented, "If getting a license in Baracoa were easier, fewer people would drive without them." Rafael García Benítez added, "It's necessary to have a license, but there should have been preventive work first. It's a shame it's all punitive."

Some users highlighted inconsistencies in the requirements for electric bicycle riders and compared the strictness of Cuban authorities to more lenient practices in other countries. Luis Miguel Rodríguez remarked, "Here in the ruthless capitalist world, if the vehicle has all its papers in order, the driver just gets fined and that's it."

Distrust over the money collected from these fines was also expressed. Tikito Tikito Cintra voiced skepticism, suggesting the funds are likely to end up "in someone’s pocket," reflecting dissatisfaction with high costs and the lack of transparency in such operations.

Examining the causes of traffic incidents in Cuba during 2024, the government identified drivers as the main culprits behind accidents on the island. The number of accidents involving cycles and pedicabs, as well as fatalities and injuries, has risen. A report by the Specialized Traffic Organ of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) released in January noted a 3% increase in incidents involving motorcycles and mopeds compared to 2023.

Colonel Raúl Cano López, deputy head of the criminal investigation and common crime department of the Ministry of the Interior, expressed concern over traffic indiscipline and the growing number of electric motorcycles and mopeds, which heighten road dangers. He acknowledged that many electric motorcycle riders lack the required driving licenses, with some as young as under 16, and warned about unauthorized electrical alterations for higher speeds and the use of non-standard helmets.

Many Cubans are frequently fined for riding electric motorcycles, also known as mopeds, without a license. In June 2020, just months after the first coronavirus cases in Cuba, urban music artist Jorge Junior was detained in Havana for operating one of these vehicles without the necessary documentation.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in May 2021, electric motorcycle riders in Cuba urged the government to allow them to drive without a license. However, in November 2022, the Provincial Directorate of Transportation in Sancti Spíritus mandated driving licenses for all mopeds to ensure road safety and protect both drivers and pedestrians. This requirement, underpinned by Law 109 (Road and Traffic Safety Code), aims to regulate the use of electric cycles, which are frequently involved in traffic accidents in the province, as reported by the official newspaper Escambray.

Additionally, last January, Transport Minister Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila reminded the public that legalizing motorcycles assembled with parts bought from private businesses is prohibited. In a Facebook post addressing questions about motorcycle sales, he clarified that individuals who purchase parts from private enterprises, build a motorcycle frame, and assemble it cannot have it legalized.