Juan Carlos Garcell, APLO
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, January – Neither the stepped-up penal code nor the
police with its modern equipment have been able to beat back a crime wave in
Sagua de Tánamo, Holguín province, in eastern Cuba.
The general scarcity experienced by the population has increased the crime
rate to the point where now it has turned into an open battle between bad guys
and victims in which both sides are willing to kill. The National Revolutionary
Police doesn’t even seem to figure in the equation.
The gravest crime lately is the unsolved murder of the delegate to the
Municipal Assembly of the Popular Power (local government) in "La Yuita,"
Santiago de Cuba province, on December 24. The official was knifed repeatedly.
Police have not released any information on the case, and the local rumor is
that the man surprised a burglar who killed him.
On the night of January 6, a young man was surprised inside a house, took
flight and was shot. He was later found dead in a ditch. His last name was
Anache.
Peasants in the area are regularly attacked with clubs and stones by
criminals. Lacking protection, the peasants rarely offer any resistance.
Cases such as these are regularly reported to the local police, which seems
powerless. "It’s getting out of hand," said a victim, who did not
want his name used.
Versión original
en español
CubaNet does not require sole rights from its
contributors. We authorize the reproduction and distribution of this article
as long as the source is credited.
| 