Dairon Urbay Solan, a 40-year-old resident of Caibarién, was found dead amidst a sugarcane field in the rural area of Bartolomé, within the municipality of Remedios, Villa Clara. Authorities are investigating his death as a murder related to a robbery.
According to social media posts by those familiar with the case, Dairon had headed out to work just like any other day. He was last seen alive with a man posing as a customer heading towards Bartolomé.
Hours later, farmers discovered his body in a sugarcane field, located just off the road between Bartolomé and Zulueta.
Those close to him suspect he was strangled. The Masonic community in Caibarién, to which Dairon belonged, confirmed that his body showed "signs of strangulation."
The alleged motive appears to have been theft. His attackers reportedly stole the electric tricycle he used for work, along with his cell phone and a gold chain he wore.
Concern among his family grew when he didn't return home and failed to answer his phone. They initially attributed it to frequent power outages and communication issues in the area, but as time passed, their worry turned into tragedy.
A critical piece of evidence for the investigation is that Dairon’s phone was switched on the next morning around six o'clock. A call was made from the device in Placetas, a municipality about 40 kilometers from Remedios.
Dairon was well-loved in Caibarién. He earned a living driving an electric tricycle and supported two elderly women he lived with. Additionally, he was a former Art teacher, having graduated from the School of Art Instructors.
Within the Masonic Lodge, he held the rank of Master Mason and served as the First Deacon of the Martí Lodge in Caibarién.
Leonardo Rodríguez Alonso, a member of this lodge, expressed the Masonic community’s sorrow in a social media message: “We ask all masons in Cuba to pray to the GADU to welcome our brother and MM Dairon Urbay Solan.”
This murder adds to an alarming series of attacks on electric tricycle drivers in Cuba during 2026. In April, Adonis Fuentes González, aged 35, was killed in Cienfuegos under similar circumstances to steal his vehicle. On May 10, Ramón Orlando Martínez was fatally stabbed in Santiago de Cuba in a comparable incident.
Dairon's death has incited widespread expressions of grief and outrage on social media amid growing concerns over escalating violence and insecurity in Cuba.
The Cuban Citizen Audit Observatory documented 2,833 verified crimes in 2025, marking a 115% increase from 2024 and a 337% rise compared to 2023. Robberies led the statistics with 1,536 reported cases, reflecting a 479% surge since 2023.
“The amount of pain you’ve left behind,” wrote a friend of Dairon amid the many farewell messages that flooded social media after news of his death broke.
Rising Crime and Violence in Cuba
What were the circumstances surrounding Dairon Urbay Solan's murder?
Dairon Urbay Solan was found dead in a sugarcane field in Bartolomé, Villa Clara. It is suspected he was murdered during a robbery, as he was last seen with a man pretending to be a customer, and his electric tricycle, phone, and gold chain were stolen.
How has crime in Cuba changed in recent years?
Crime in Cuba has increased significantly, with the Cuban Citizen Audit Observatory recording a 115% rise in crimes in 2025 compared to 2024. Robberies saw a notable increase, with 1,536 cases reported, a 479% jump from 2023.