A Cuban motorcyclist, missing since Friday evening, was tragically discovered dead on Sunday morning in a canal in Pinar del Río province. Yusniel Díaz Hernández, aged 40 and employed by ETECSA, had left home around 7:00 p.m. to offer rides on his red Suzuki GN 125 motorcycle.
His cousin, Florile Teresa Díaz Morales, who had sought assistance on social media to find him, revealed on Sunday that he was killed for his motorcycle. "My God! I wake up to the horrifying news that my cousin, a man who only worked hard for his family, was murdered just for his bike; what is happening in Cuba?" she expressed on Facebook. "Rest in peace, Yusniel, your family mourns and will remember you always, and justice will prevail, both human and divine," she added.
The victim, a husband and father of two, had been hired to transport people and was supposed to make a trip that afternoon from the Consolación del Sur municipality to the Alonso Rojas area. In a Facebook post by CiberCuba highlighting his disappearance, user Yadel Milians disclosed that the body was found in a canal in Alonso Rojas.
The Motive Unveiled
In a follow-up post, Florile Teresa amended her initial statement after learning more about the incident, clarifying that the killer owed her cousin 5,000 pesos and killed him to avoid repayment. "He threw the bike into a canal," she specified. The alleged murderer is identified as Josiel Días Rojas, a resident of Consolación del Sur.
"What drove you to take a human life just because you didn’t want to pay 5,000 measly Cuban pesos?" she questioned on Facebook. "You bastard, you have destroyed an entire family, and yours will live in the shame of having a murderer," she stated.
A Community in Shock
An anonymous source informed our newsroom that Yusniel Díaz was indeed carrying his attacker on the bike when he was killed by a blow to the head with a bottle. This heinous crime has left the Consolación del Sur community and its surroundings in shock. Authorities have yet to make an official statement about this grim event, and it is unclear if the perpetrator has been apprehended.
This incident adds to the wave of violence sweeping the nation, amidst the worst economic and social crisis in decades. Despite the government's claims of decreasing crime rates on the island, the population's perception remains contrary, fueled by frequent social media reports of thefts and violent crimes.
The Ministry of the Interior (MININT) reported this week that although crime rates remained high through August, there was a decline compared to the same period last year. However, detailed statistics were not provided. Provinces like Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Ciego de Ávila, Cienfuegos, and Sancti Spíritus recorded the highest crime figures.
"While progress is being made in certain areas and indicators, the people have yet to see tangible results, which is our goal," stated Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz. "If we continue to intensify our efforts, we might reach a point where the reduction in crimes and illegal activities becomes noticeably apparent," he concluded.