A Cuban man who managed a grocery store in Sancti Spíritus for ten months has been sentenced to a decade behind bars for embezzling approximately 200,000 pesos worth of goods from the establishment.
The incidents took place at La Riviera grocery store, which is part of the Unidad Empresarial de Base (UEB) Sur under the Empresa Municipal de Comercio de Sancti Spíritus. According to an article by the state-run outlet Escambray, the court proceedings revealed that the defendant—whose identity remains undisclosed—illegally appropriated 24 types of food and industrial products. These included rationed rice, raw and refined sugar, black beans, salt, powdered milk, hygiene products, and more than 6,000 liters of kerosene.
Additionally, he stole alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including cans of beer and bottles of soda, as well as cigarettes meant for public sale. The Empresa Municipal de Comercio de Sancti Spíritus reported an economic loss of 174,882 pesos based on the cost prices of the stolen goods. However, authorities estimated the actual damage to be 200,127 pesos based on retail prices.
The massive theft severely affected the customers of La Riviera, who were unable to receive their full allotment of rationed goods. To address this, the Empresa Mayorista de Alimentos was asked to replenish the missing items so that sales could be completed.
The 35-year-old defendant was charged with embezzlement in case number 236 of 2023 by the Sala Primera de lo Penal of the Tribunal Provincial Popular de Sancti Spíritus. Following the evidence presented, the court sentenced him to ten years in prison in 2024 as the perpetrator of the embezzlement crime. There were also additional penalties imposed.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ruled that the defendant must compensate the Empresa Municipal de Comercio de Sancti Spíritus for the material damage, amounting to 200,127 pesos. The defendant has the right to appeal this decision before the Tribunal Supremo Popular, which will issue a final verdict and confirm the sentence if upheld.
Broader Implications of Corruption
This embezzlement case is part of a larger pattern of corruption and theft in grocery stores across Cuba, exacerbated by the country's severe economic crisis and widespread shortages. In Sancti Spíritus alone, between January and August of 2023, there were 10 reported cases of forceful theft and six instances of corruption.