Cuban Officials Accused of Extorting Tricycle Drivers Face Public Outcry

A video that surfaced on social media this Friday captured a woman confronting inspectors in Havana, accusing them of soliciting bribes from pedicab and tricycle drivers amid a strong public backlash online.

The footage, shared on the Facebook page of the digital platform Cántalo TV, shows the woman identifying the officials as "the same ones who asked for money on Facebook," accusing them of fining drivers after demanding payments.

"They're the same ones who ask for money and then issue fines," she asserted during the confrontation.

One inspector demanded she stop recording. However, the woman continued filming, publicly questioning the actions of the officials, whom she accused of turning transportation oversight into an illegal revenue-collection scheme.

Comments accompanying the video placed the incident in the San Miguel del Padrón and Virgen del Camino areas of the Cuban capital. According to several online users, at least one inspector left the scene upon realizing he was being filmed.

The video sparked a flurry of responses from users who supported the woman and criticized the inspectors' behavior. Some labeled the incident as "corruption and extortion at its purest," while others noted that public officials could be recorded while performing their duties.

The allegations extended beyond this particular episode. Some commentators claimed that traffic inspectors are required to hand over money to superiors working in headquarters, although these claims are user comments and have not been substantiated by available information.

There was skepticism about any potential disciplinary action. "Nobody gets fired here," wrote one user, while another commented that such practices have become "the norm these days."

Inspectors' Pay Scheme Sparks Controversy

This incident unfolds after the Cuban government restructured the pay scheme for inspectors in January 2025, implementing a "performance-based" compensation model announced by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero. Under this system, earnings are tied to the number and amount of fines issued, with base salaries ranging from 5,810 to 7,830 pesos monthly.

This model introduces a direct incentive linked to the punitive activities of inspectors, setting the stage for renewed public complaints about abuses and unlawful charges.

However, the available information does not confirm that the officials in the video were operating under this scheme or validate the accusations made against them.

"How long will we continue to tolerate the same corrupt inspectors taking money from hardworking people... how long will the government keep covering up the wrongdoing?" one user questioned.

Thus, the complaint brings inspectors back to the forefront of public discontent, while social media serves as a platform to expose accusations that, at least in this case, are not accompanied by an official explanation of the events.

In April, a viral complaint revealed inspectors admitting to fining businesses without actual infractions because "it was mandatory to fine." In August, three inspectors imposed 48,000 pesos in fines on an entrepreneur and his retired worker for contractual irregularities.

Passenger tricycles have become a popular transport mode amid the collapse of the state-run public transit system. This year, authorities have tightened controls over this sector. Earlier this month, a transporter in Holguín was fined 2,000 pesos for not visibly displaying fares on his electric tricycle.

Public resistance against such abuses is not new. In March 2025, a group of residents confronted and expelled inspectors attempting to extort a pedicab driver, in a video that also went viral.