Shock and Outrage in Santiago de Cuba: Security Guard Murdered in El Cristo

The community of El Cristo in Santiago de Cuba is in shock after the murder of a security guard at a cooperative in the early hours of Monday. This tragic event marks the third violent attack against a security guard in the province within just over a month, raising alarms and causing widespread despair.

The news of this horrifying incident reached the public through social media. On Facebook, journalist Yosmany Mayeta reported that the motive behind the killing was the theft of oxen. The victim, known as Luis Mario Castillo, or “Luis, la pulla,” was about 54 years old and lived in the neighborhood of La Tordera in El Cristo, according to sources close to the victim who spoke to CiberCuba.

Castillo was employed as a guard at a cooperative under the Ministry of Sugar (MINAZ) and was found stabbed and strangled. His colleagues discovered his lifeless body around six in the morning.

In addition to his work as a security guard, Castillo had previously been employed as a police officer and also delivered bread in various local neighborhoods. “The news has left the community in deep sorrow, as he was a hardworking, revolutionary family man who did not deserve such a fate,” expressed one interviewee, visibly distressed by the crime. The loss is profoundly felt by his family, especially his elderly mother.

Another neighbor mentioned that Castillo's mother is devastated by his murder, describing the situation as “heartbreakingly sad for someone merely trying to earn an honest living.”

As of this article's publication, there has been no official statement from the authorities or state media regarding the crime. Hundreds of users have reacted to Mayeta's Facebook post and others like it, voicing their outrage over the murder and the perceived inaction of the police to curb rising crime rates.

Those who knew Castillo describe him as a good-natured individual. Comments such as “a man of few words, upright,” “humble, hardworking, and noble, a family man—such a tragic death,” reflect the sentiments of those close to him. Many messages of condolence have been sent to Castillo’s family, another casualty of the pervasive violence and insecurity in Cuba.

Amidst the profound grief over the loss of the worker, there is also a growing concern among Cubans about the increasing crime rates in the country. Many demand stronger laws and harsher penalties, including the death penalty, particularly for murderers. The public's frustration is summed up in statements like, “These criminals today resort to killing to take possession of others' belongings; they take a life in an instant to seize years of hard work. Authorities must enforce all laws on them, and justice must be served, no more injustices,” stated one man.

“Security guards are being targeted; soon, no one will want that job,” warned another user online, while a third noted, “Guards are on duty unarmed, and if they are robbed, they must pay for what was stolen and are fired. If they try to stop it, they are killed.”

“There are no longer thieves, just murderers. That's why the law must change for those who kill. If you kill, you must face the ultimate penalty—period,” declared another individual.

In the last month, Santiago de Cuba has been hit by the murders of two security guards while they were at work—one at a market and another at a private restaurant—with robbery as the apparent motive. In late November, authorities captured the perpetrator of these crimes and an attack on a third guard, who survived.

This year has also seen the murders of security guards at a notary and a cooperative in Santiago de Cuba, a foreign currency store in Havana, and a grocery store in Ciego de Ávila, with robbery identified as the motive in some cases.