Rising Crime in Las Tunas: Murder Among Leading Offenses in 2024

In 2024, homicides ranked as the second most frequent crime in Las Tunas, as confirmed by local authorities in this eastern province. This underscores the growing issues of crime, violence, and social insecurity in the area. According to data released by the Ministry of the Interior (Minint) over the past weekend, drug trafficking, murders, cattle theft, and violent robberies were the most common criminal activities recorded last year, as reported by the state-run newspaper 26.

Although the report did not disclose specific statistics for each crime, Minint officials noted that the rise in drug-related offenses might be attributed to increased enforcement efforts, allowing for more detections. They also mentioned a decrease in crimes classified as bodily harm and homicides. Authorities highlighted that cattle theft and illegal slaughtering accounted for 50.3% of the criminal activity in the province.

During a meeting assessing crime in Las Tunas, it was revealed that the total number of offenses committed in 2024 was 1% higher than the previous year, particularly in the municipalities of Majibacoa, Amancio, and Puerto Padre. However, the provincial capital was responsible for 40% of the crimes reported in the region last year.

Despite these figures, Las Tunas officials boasted about a "reduction in the growth rate of crimes" during 2024 compared to the prior year, though this claim was not backed up with data. The Minint's analysis suggests that the typical offender in Las Tunas is "unemployed," under 30 years old, and lacks a criminal record.

Miguel González, the province's Director of Labor and Social Security, noted that unemployed individuals "have turned down more than one job offer" and admitted that "preventive groups established at the local level are not functioning as they should to prevent the emergence of criminals among those without legitimate sources of income."

The report from newspaper 26 described crime as "a highly sensitive issue for the community of Las Tunas," questioning what the regime still considers "one of the main achievements of Cuban socialism: public tranquility," despite the uptick in crime and violence across Cuba. A series of violent crimes in this part of the country has shaken society over the past year.

In a tragic incident, a teenager around 17 years old, Jader Machado Fis, was killed by his own father in Las Tunas last November. Another young man, Brayan Anthoni Camejo Rodríguez, a father to a young daughter, was murdered in March in the same city, allegedly after a confrontation with a man who had been inappropriate with his girlfriend. In January, the community of Puerto Padre was shocked by the murder of Dr. Iván de Prada, who was killed by one or more assailants aiming to steal his motorcycle.