In a disturbing incident captured on video, a coachman mercilessly beat an exhausted horse for over an hour on a busy street in Holguín. This appalling event took place on Friday, May 8, at around 7 a.m., sparking widespread outrage across social media platforms.
According to a report by Bienestar Animal Cuba (BAC) shared on Instagram, the incident occurred at the intersection of Máximo Gómez and Cables on May 8 at 7:00 a.m.
"The horse collapsed while pulling a cart, and the coachman began to savagely beat it for more than an hour with kicks and whippings, while the poor animal lay helpless on the ground," the report detailed.
The organization expressed its outrage, condemning the brutal act of cruelty: "This kind of violence against an exhausted animal is completely unacceptable. It's not work; it's sheer torture."
BAC has called for the immediate identification and punishment of the coachman, urging anyone who recognizes him from the video to come forward: "If you are from the area and can identify him from the circulating video, please contact us urgently."
Recurring Pattern of Animal Abuse in Cuba
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident in Holguín. Back in October 2020, a woman confronted three coachmen who were beating and dragging another collapsed horse on the street, an event also caught on video and widely shared. Animal rights activist Sara Nogueira Pérez highlighted that these animals are often deprived of water and food, left in the sun, and made to travel long distances without rest, carrying heavy loads of up to ten people.
This pattern is prevalent throughout Cuba. Just four days before the Holguín incident, a horse collapsed in Sancti Spíritus, likely due to heatstroke, without any vet assistance. The animal suffered severe injuries while trying to stand up.
Weak Enforcement of Animal Welfare Laws
In 2021, Cuba enacted Decree-Law No. 31 on Animal Welfare, which mandates rest, food, and load restrictions for working animals. However, animal rights groups argue that enforcement is virtually non-existent.
The penalties under this law range from 500 to 3,000 Cuban pesos, amounts deemed inadequate by activists as deterrents. For instance, a resident of Holguín was fined only 1,500 pesos in May 2025 for the death of a cat, a penalty criticized by the animal rights community as insufficient.
The core problem is structural: animal cruelty is not classified as a crime in the Cuban Penal Code, and advocates have long been demanding its inclusion in criminal legislation. Without such legal action, incidents like the one in Holguín will continue to result in mere symbolic fines or complete impunity.
BAC concluded their statement with a firm warning: "We will pursue justice for this horse. Enough is enough of the abuse on our streets."
Addressing Animal Abuse in Cuba
What happened to the horse in Holguín?
The horse collapsed from exhaustion while pulling a cart and was brutally beaten by the coachman for over an hour, an incident that was captured on video and caused public outrage.
What does BAC demand following this incident?
BAC demands the immediate identification and sanctioning of the coachman responsible for the abuse and has called on the public to help identify him if possible.
How are animal welfare laws enforced in Cuba?
Although Cuba has animal welfare laws in place, enforcement is weak, and penalties are considered insufficient to deter abuse, according to animal rights groups.