Raúl Pérez Velázquez, a Cuban father living in the United States, recently shared a deeply emotional account of a burglary at his mother-in-law's home in the Cerro district of Havana, where his two daughters, who are in seventh and ninth grade, also reside. Speaking to journalist Mario J. Pentón, Raúl described how thieves broke into the house during the early morning hours, stealing nearly everything in sight, from appliances to the school backpacks containing his daughters' books and notebooks.
"They took everything: televisions, the girls' phones, money... all material things," Raúl explained, expressing gratitude that neither his mother-in-law nor his daughters were harmed. Despite this, he couldn't hide his pain as he recounted how the intruders entered the room where his daughters were sleeping and took their school supplies.
Education Disrupted
Raúl shared that his daughters were devastated upon discovering the theft, especially since they are in the midst of exam season without the necessary materials to study. He noted the police had yet to show up to investigate, despite a formal complaint being filed. "If something belonging to the government had been stolen, special forces and canine units would have been there immediately, but because it's just a simple family..." Raúl criticized, highlighting the authorities' inaction in addressing issues that impact Cuban families.
Escalating Crime in Cuba
In his heartfelt testimony, the distraught father also highlighted the increasing insecurity on the island, attributing the rise in theft and violence to Cuba's economic crisis, hunger, and poverty. Raúl, visibly moved, recalled a tragic event in his family: the murder of his uncle in Matanzas during a robbery. "They killed my uncle for his motorcycle. He used it for transportation, and someone ended his life. The saddest part is the police still haven't caught the killer," he lamented.
Hope for a Better Future
Amidst his sorrow, Raúl expressed his deep desire to reunite his daughters with him in the United States soon. "My wife and I work every day to give them a better future, but a robbery like this destroys in minutes what we've worked so hard to build," he reflected. "It's very sad what's happening there. Thank God my family is physically okay, but the emotional trauma is evident," he added.
Raúl Pérez made an emotional plea to the residents of El Cerro, hoping that if anyone finds his daughters' notebooks or schoolbooks in a trash bin, they will return them. In a comment on the post, Mario J. Pentón mentioned that after the report, the family did receive a visit from the police in Cuba. "After this video was published, police and experts rushed to the house... Those in power always try to suppress complaints that annoy the dictatorship yet prove very effective," Pentón noted.
Other Cubans residing in the United States expressed solidarity with Raúl Pérez in the comments, sharing that their families in Cuba have experienced similar thefts. As of the publication of this report, no further details about the case have emerged.