Nearly a week has passed since the tragic murder of a security guard at a restaurant in Santiago de Cuba, yet authorities have not apprehended any suspects. According to independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta, police efforts have been focused on possible suspects near 1st Street between 4th and 6th in the Dessy neighborhood.
"Listen, Mayeta, the police are on my block looking for a guy named Caco, about 35 years old," a local resident reported. She described him as slightly schizophrenic, a condition shared by his mother. "I overheard a police officer suggesting that he and two others might be involved," she added.
The crime took place overnight from Saturday to Sunday at Café Continental, a restaurant located on Gallo Street, between Enramadas and Aguilera, near the El Avileño market. The victim, Rodolfo Despaigne Fines, was on duty when he was brutally killed. At 74 years old, he was a Jehovah’s Witness residing in the Los Olmos neighborhood.
The Victim's Life and Tragic End
Despaigne had retired after dedicating 40 years to work as a mechanic in state-run facilities. However, his pension of 1,600 pesos was insufficient to sustain his household, prompting him to return to work. Late in 2023, he found the security position through friends, Mayeta shared on Facebook.
Rodolfo was violently killed by young criminals. "They struck him in the middle of the night with a blunt object near his ears and then suffocated him. Despite his efforts to defend himself, he couldn't fend off the multiple attackers who entered through an alley behind the establishment," recounted a family member.
Context of Rising Violence
The elderly man left behind a son, Ronal Despaigne Cisneros. His death marks the second such incident within two weeks in the city. On November 11, the body of another security guard from the state-run El Santiaguero market was discovered near the Los Ángeles clinic on Garzón Avenue, directly across from the Communist Party headquarters. The area was heavily cordoned off and under intense military surveillance.