Residents of the area are wondering if the aim is also to repress the population, especially in light of the events commemorating the centenary of Fidel Castro’s birth.
14ymedio, Havana, August 10, 2026 / A large military deployment has been extended throughout Guanabacoa, including the areas where witnesses told 14ymedio that assaults had occurred. This Sunday, several soldiers could be seen early on the corner of La Cotorra Park and the Amphitheater.
The operation, however, has generated suspicions among residents of the area, who are wondering if it is an attempt to eradicate the increasingly frequent robberies or if it is an effort to repress the population, especially given the upcoming centenary of Fidel Castro’s birth this Thursday. In recent months, protests against the endless power outages have multiplied across the island.
“They’ve set up checkpoints in many places,” a resident told this publication. He added, “There’s one right around the corner from my house. They pretend to solve the problems, but they’re really full of police, just like in dictatorships.”
From Lawton, also in Havana, a resident reports that internet speeds “have slowed” because they are expecting some kind of protest. There are plenty of reasons for this. “Yesterday we had a 20-hour blackout. Now there’s electricity, but the connection is unstable,” he adds.
“Yesterday we had a 20-hour power outage. Now there is electricity, but the connection is unstable.”
The deployment in Guanabacoa, some residents of the area agree, goes beyond simply being present in an area prone to robberies, and in fact seems to be a preventative measure against any protests against the increase in blackouts, the prices of oil and other basic necessities.
Another neighbor claims that the deployment of soldiers throughout the municipality is to prevent any “shady dealings” surrounding Fidel Castro’s birthday, a date that the regime will exploit from August 13th to December 4th.
At one point, a group of four soldiers can be seen. All of them, young, are simply chatting on what is a sunny and peaceful afternoon. Nearby, two other young men are passing the time. The weather is kind, but the arrival of night brings other challenges, among them, the increasingly frequent insecurity.
The Havana municipality becomes a “wolf’s den” when the sun goes down. The combination of power outages, deserted streets, and poor lighting has multiplied insecurity. This Sunday, this newspaper reported the theft of a moped from a couple riding after 11 p.m. “We went out because we had no other choice,” they said. In minutes, their life savings vanished before their eyes, leaving them powerless to do anything.
The combination of blackouts, deserted streets, and poor lighting has increased insecurity.
She needed internet access for her work as a community manager; he, a barber, was taking advantage of the trip to shower at a house in Regla where there was running water. They were returning home when two hooded men intercepted them and stole their electric motorcycle at knifepoint.
“They appeared from behind on a combustion engine motorcycle. The one in the back was carrying a knife. They slashed at them and pushed them with their feet to knock them down,” a person close to the victims told this media outlet.
In recent months, social media has also seen a surge in reports of stolen electric motorcycles and tricycles, along with posts from family members and neighbors trying to locate stolen vehicles or identify the perpetrators. Thefts of these vehicles are on the rise because they can be sold on the black market for up to $2,300, compared to their original price of around $1,300.
Insecurity has also affected businesses. On July 29th, a robbery was reported at the 28 de Enero MSME in the community of La Jata. Journalist Niover Licea posted a video showing two men, in broad daylight and surrounded by shoppers, waiting for the staff to be distracted before stealing equipment.
On July 29th, a robbery was reported at the 28 de Enero micro-enterprise in the community of La Jata.
At the end of June, a Cuban woman identified as Yanet Pérez publicly reported on Facebook that her home in Pueblo La Gallega was robbed on a Sunday morning, around nine o’clock, while she was not at home.
Another case involved a doctor. Three armed men broke into her home in the early hours of the morning. They threatened her with firearms, pointing them at her head and neck, and stole money, jewelry, a motorcycle, and all her belongings, including her shoes.
The complaint was filed in early July by Cuban writer Yoana Hernández Suárez, the victim’s aunt, through her social media, after receiving a message from her niece that said: “Auntie, we were robbed last night at home by three individuals with weapons. We are alive. Don’t worry.”
For one of the residents of Guanabacoa, with the military deployment in various parts of the municipality, “I suspect thieves will think twice,” especially late at night when the streets are deserted. “It might be a little easier to go out,” he says.
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