A resident from Holguín has sparked concern on social media, complaining that groups of youths are exploiting nightly blackouts to hurl metal fragments at neighbors sitting outside to escape the heat. The alert was shared on Facebook by Leoncio Emilio Magariño Ajo, who revealed that one of these projectiles landed inside his home.
"During blackouts, young people throw pieces of metal at those sitting on their porches to cool off," Magariño Ajo stated in his post.
He recounted a harrowing incident when his eldest son had just entered their home and a loud noise was heard: a projectile had slammed into their electric scooter parked inside.
"Imagine if this hit a child or anyone else... that's how bad things have gotten," the complainant warned.
Photos accompanying the post depict a small, dark, and rusty metal fragment, likely a piece of cut steel or iron, indicative of a country plagued by infrastructural decay.
Magariño Ajo pointed out that local law enforcement has failed to act on this issue, a negligence seen across multiple provinces in Cuba.
This complaint arises amid a severe power crisis in Holguín: on Thursday, the Fray Benito circuit experienced outages totaling 12 hours and 37 minutes, while Holguín Mir exceeded 10 hours, with the province barely meeting a 60 MW demand.
The prolonged darkness creates an environment ripe for violence.
Recurring Attacks and Police Inactivity
The pattern of projectile attacks in the province isn't new. Back in September 2025, a train from Santiago de Cuba was pelted with stones between Cristino Naranjo and Fuente, Holguín, with one stone breaking through a carriage window without causing any injuries. Similar incidents targeted the Havana-Holguín and Havana-Bayamo trains in July of the same year.
The police inaction highlighted by Magariño Ajo aligns with a documented pattern throughout 2026 across various provinces.
In Santiago de Cuba, a family waited over ten hours for the National Revolutionary Police after reporting a theft; the officers cited a "shift change" as the cause for delay. In another instance, a resident reported a three-day wait for police to respond after a portable power station was stolen, with no subsequent investigation carried out.
In June 2026, authorities in Guantánamo apprehended 11 members of three gangs accused of at least nine crimes; these assaults occurred at night, with suspects mainly being young, unemployed individuals—a profile matching the Holguín complaint.
The Cuban Citizen Audit Observatory reported 2,833 crimes in 2025, a 115% increase from the previous year, with theft being the most common. In September 2026, 11 violent deaths were recorded nationwide, according to data released this week.
FAQs on Violence and Police Response in Cuba
What is the main concern in Holguín regarding youth behavior?
The primary concern is that groups of youths are using the cover of night and power outages to throw metal fragments at residents sitting outside, which poses a significant safety risk.
How has the local police responded to these incidents?
According to local residents, the police have not taken any action regarding these incidents, which is a recurring issue in various provinces across Cuba.
What is the impact of the power crisis on crime in Holguín?
The ongoing power crisis results in extended periods of darkness, creating an environment conducive to criminal activities, including these projectile attacks.