The Havana authorities came out this Sunday to deny the alleged deaths of young Cubans in a riot that occurred at the Finca de los Monos, in the El Cerro municipality. Reports about the event began to circulate since the afternoon of this Saturday, when the events occurred, as acknowledged by the Government of the capital in a publication on Facebook. But almost 24 hours passed before an official version of events arrived.
According to that official version, no young people died and there were only two injured, who “received immediate medical attention without danger to life.”
The reports that circulated on social networks about the events stated that they took place during an activity promoted by the ruling Union of Young Communists (UJC). for the beginning of summer. The capital’s government’s account does not mention the official organization and maintains that the event was “related to an unapproved activity, where a disturbance of order occurred during the movement to the outer areas of the facility.”
The delay of the Havana authorities in saying what happened contrasts with the fact that, according to the post they recently published, the Government and the Police “intervened consistently to reestablish order.” This statement also contradicts the images that circulated on Facebook, in which young people are seen running carrying sticks or machetes and several confrontations, before a patrol appeared.
“We repudiate acts like this, which have nothing to do with the effort that the Cuban State makes to guarantee recreation and healthy recreation,” states the publication of the Havana authorities.
“Once again the unscrupulous attitude of people and media that try to discredit our society with falsehoods is exposed,” he adds, despite the fact that Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz himself had to admit in February that the authorities are failing to contain or reduce crimes in the country.
“We continue to bet on discipline, formal and civic education, elements that characterize the model of Cuban socialism,” concludes the post from the capital’s Government.
Some users considered the information offered by the authorities “timely” the day after the events, and others criticized the delay.
However, several pointed out that regardless of whether there were deaths or not, the images cannot be denied and they appear very young boys, even teenagers, carrying machetes.
“The images and videos circulate and are verified. Gang members walking freely with knives. Whether there are deaths or not will be known in the next few hours,” wrote Obione Kenan.
“The issue is not to deny or analyze now who is telling the truth,” said Yuri MV. “The issue that things like this between teenagers did not happen, this has gotten out of hand. There are real videos circulating, and you can see young girls hitting each other like boxers, young boys with machetes in their hands and knives. There is something about them what to do for the authorities, because it was not a simple alteration of order,” added the user, who claimed to have friends who were at the scene of the events with their children “and had an ugly time” seeing the events live.
“I demand that State institutions play their role in all their ministries,” wrote a user who identified herself as La Hermana de Irelis Rodríguez. “What we have seen yesterday is nothing more than the degradation of society in its maximum expression. A consequence of the failure of the State to build a healthy society. Poverty, decontextualized education and lack of access to basic services such as a space of recreation to recreate healthily are factors that contribute to social degradation,” added the user, who published fragments of the videos of the confrontations that circulated on the networks in response to the text from the Government of Havana.
